Artwork: A Perfect World

By Neil deGrasse Tyson

Entry from the book A Perfect World: Words and Paintings from Over 50 of America’s Most Powerful People by Debra Trione.

Impressionist-style painting of trees of Central Park and the city skyline under the starry night sky.
Painting by Neil deGrasse Tyson

I have a simple image in my head. I was born and raised in New York City so I’m a city person. But the universe calls. My first time in the Hayden Planetarium I was nine years old, and along the periphery was the Manhattan skyline and Central Park front. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I will not stand in denial of civilization or technology, but I will also not deny myself the simple pleasures of looking up. That’s what binds us all to other humans. To me there’s something powerful about this image. It’s the juxtaposition of nature, civilization, and the universe. It’s my life.

Cover of A Perfect World: Words and Paintings from Over 50 of America's Most Powerful People by Debra Trione.