Elkins Nutrition, located at 7903 High School Road in Elkins Park, received a visit last Wednesday from world-renowned astrophysicist, author, and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson (above left).

Owner Hector Ybe, an avid astronomer and founder of the Elkins Skywatchers Club, told Glenside Local that deGrasse Tyson is the uncle of one of the club’s leaders. He surprised Ybe for his birthday, which happened to coincide with Elkins Nutrition’s third anniversary in business.

“He said he’s always paying attention to what we’re doing, and he was amazed by the community. He ate in La Piovra and loved it. He’ll be back,” Ybe said. “He said he appreciates how we’re trying to change the mindset of the kids in the community by providing astronomy education for everyone. It was a dream come true. I had no idea he was coming.”

A Harvard University graduate, deGrasse Tyson has served as the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City since 1996. His website is here.

In December, the club was visited by Gregory Leonard, a NASA-affiliated senior research specialist at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. One month later, Skywatchers became an approved member of NASA’s Night Sky Network.

Leonard is planning to return to Elkins Park in November.

“We’re going to plan something very cool for him,” Ybe said.

For more on the Skywatchers Club, you can follow Elkins Nutrition’s Facebook page. To become a member, you can fill out this form.

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Photos: Elkins Nutrition