The late-night TV landscape is about to add a serious dose of star quality – literally.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson, arguably the only astrophysicist in history to secure a legitimate spot in the pantheon of pop culture, will be hosting his own late-night talk show on the National Geographic Channel, titled Star Talk. Aside from being beloved by talk-show hosts himself, Tyson boasts a rabid Internet following as well as a lightning-rod Twitter feed.

“Cosmos allowed us to share the awesome power of the universe with a global audience in ways that we never thought possible,” said Tyson to a crowd at the Television Critics Association press tour. “To be able to continue to spread wonder and excitement through Star Talk, which is a true passion project for me, is beyond exciting. And National Geographic Channel is the perfect home as we continue to explore the universe.”

Star Talk will be taped in front of a live studio audience at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City’s Museum of Natural History, Tyson’s home base.

Tyson is still tweaking the format of Star Talk, which will marry discussions of science and popular culture and feature interviews with scientists, celebs and comedians. He does plan to give fellow scientist pal Bill Nye a 60-second platform to rant in each show, in the style Andy Rooney popularized on 60 Minutes.

“After the global success of Cosmos as one of the most-watched series in our history, we are thrilled to be partnering with Neil again,” National Geographic Channel CEO Courteney Monroe said in a statement. “Star Talk is the perfect opportunity to offer our audience an edgy, late-night alternative with the credibility and authenticity that are the hallmarks of our network.”