WORCESTER — Students at the College of the Holy Cross could thank their lucky stars that prominent astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is speaking at their school, but in a way they'd just be thanking themselves.

Mr. Tyson, who will deliver the college's 49th annual Hanify-Howland Memorial Lecture on Nov. 13, says the molecules in our bodies are traceable to the night sky.

Mr. Tyson will speak in the Hogan Ballroom at Holy Cross at 8 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.

"Since your atoms and molecules come from stars, you can say without hesitation and with full truth that not only are we in the universe, but the universe is in us," Mr. Tyson said in a recent interview.

Mr. Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space and a research associate in the department of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. He is past host of PBS' NOVA ScienceNow and host of a weekly radio show called "StarTalk."

This year he hosted "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey" on PBS, an update to Mr. Sagan's 1980 "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage." Mr. Sagan's widow, Ann Druyan, who co-created the original series, was an executive producer, along with "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane.

Mr. Tyson paused to consider his favorite of the 13-episode miniseries, then settled on the first ("Standing Up in the Milky Way") and the last ("Unafraid of the Dark").

It's safe to say Mr. Tyson has never been afraid of the dark. As a child, he became fixated with the night sky, and as a teen he delivered lectures on astronomy. Mr. Sagan, who was on the faculty at Cornell University, learned of Mr. Tyson and tried to recruit him for his department, but Mr. Tyson opted to attend Harvard. He went on to earn a Ph.D. from Columbia.

Mr. Tyson says that many people feel small in relation the universe, but that it's only partly true.

"We are small in time and in space and essentially every measurable way. So that's an accurate statement," he said. "We feel small because we are. Emotionally, however, how do you deal with that fact? For me, I bring in other information.

"For example, the molecules in your body are traceable to the stars in the night sky. So when I look up, I don't see myself as a small part, I see myself as a participant in this great unfolding. And that brings a smile to my face."

Speaking of his face — or maybe it's the whole package — People magazine in 2000 named Mr. Tyson the sexiest astrophysicist alive. Mr. Tyson thinks people simply associate him with an intellectual awakening.

"It's manifested in a variety of ways. You have men saying they have a man crush. Here's what I've found: If people are empowered intellectually, they think in ways they had not thought before, to understand concepts they thought were out of reach. Not because they were taught it, but because they were given the tools to learn it on their own. This is immensely satisfying. If they associate me with the person empowering them in this way ... if you're a mature adult, it goes beyond just 'thank you'; it's 'I feel this joy.' So for many people it manifests sensually."

Mr. Tyson explicitly rejects one-word labels, but he will tell people he's agnostic if they really want to know whether he believes in God.

When he speaks at Holy Cross, he'll be addressing a student body that is rooted in a tradition of faith.

"Depending on the talk, there's a scaffold that I create. That contains the content and the shape of the talk. I then assemble, using construction materials, the outer shell of that building. Who the audience is, where and when is the talk, and what's going on in the world at the time the talk is being given," he said.

"It doesn't change the message; it changes the tools so the audience can best receive the message."

One theme that tends to crop up is Mr. Tyson's conviction that adults tend to quash children's natural curiosity.

"Get out of their way," he has said, urging parents to let children be the born scientists that they are.

But stirring a sense of wonder and discovery in older children — or adults — is possible, he said.

"It's easier than you might think to reignite the flame that had gone to fading embers. They need to be reminded that science can be fun and interesting and empowering. And at the end of the day, it's not really science. It's how the world works. Everything around you is science."

Daniel Correia, a senior at Holy Cross, is co-chairman of the Hanify-Howland Memorial Lecture Committee. The student committee was founded in 1965 in honor of Judge Edward Hanify, class of 1904, and Weston Howland.

He said the committee has been thinking of Mr. Tyson for some time. Recent speakers have included former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Soledad O'Brien, "Freakonomics" author Steven Levitt and Bob Woodward.

"I'm incredibly excited," said Mr. Correia, who is majoring in chemistry with a focus in environmental studies. "I've been trying to get someone scientific to come for my three years on the committee. He's so well-known right now. He's definitely one of the more high-profile speakers we've had in awhile."

Email Sara Schweiger at Sara.Schweiger@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @SschweigerTG.