ArcaMax

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson never dreamed that he would grow up to be a television personality. Besides having guested on shows such as "The Big Bang Theory" and "Stargate: Atlantis," he is the host of the National Geographic Channel's "StarTalk."

"For me growing up, the night sky was at the local planetarium," says Tyson, 56, who resides in New York. "There's no other way I would've been able to see it." Laughing, he adds, "I want to write a novel one day where the plot will include a group of amateur astronomers. During a blackout that always seems to happen in big cities, people will go outside and be forced to look up to really see the night sky for the first time."

Fans may follow Tyson on Twitter at https://twitter.com/neiltyson.

Q. When you hear people say that the sky is more beautiful in a certain part of the world, what do you say?

A. The sky is beautiful everywhere. But the beautiful night skies in big cities like Beijing or New York City aren't comparable to certain parts of the world.

Q. Why is that?

A. People think Australia has the best sky. That's because nobody lives in Australia other than 10 people! (Laughs) When people from Europe or the United States visit the Southern Hemisphere, the first thing they notice or say is that the sky is so beautiful. But they're not asking why. It just somehow inherently seems more beautiful. It's because most people live in the Northern Hemisphere where you find tons of people, and in areas with a lot of people, you find a lot of lights. By going south, you are escaping the light pollution and fog that has turned the Northern Hemisphere star-watching into something like looking through muddy water.

Q. With that said, where can people who can't get to the Southern Hemisphere head to for star-gazing?

A. Try to head to the top of any mountain. The atmosphere is what contains pollen. As you ascend a mountain, the night sky becomes clearer and clearer and you're less frequently affected by a low lying weather pattern. Another good place is the desert, which by definition has low rainfall. That means you don't get as many clouds. There are fewer particles to block the view as you view the night sky. If you have to put a telescope somewhere, doing it in the desert is the next best thing.

Q. Where have you traveled to that was breathtakingly beautiful?

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