EXCLUSIVE: Pop astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson reveals which popular sci-fi films got the science right – and which got it horribly wrong

Pop astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has revealed which classic science fiction films are scientifically accurate – and which ones completely miss the point.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, the celebrated astrophysicist called the 2015 film The Martian “credible.”

“The science is completely accurate,” Tyson said of the Ridley Scott film starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain. ‘It’s a science fiction film in which science itself was a character.

‘The main character uses science to figure out how to stay alive on Mars for 400 days!’

But of the classic, heartbreaking film Armageddon, Tyson said that while it was “entertaining,” it “violated more laws of physics per minute than any movie I had ever seen.”

Tyson told DailyMail.com that the 2015 film The Martian and the 1998 film Deep Impact were the most scientifically accurate films

Tyson said 1998’s Armageddon “violated more laws of physics per minute than any movie I had ever seen” until he saw the 2022 film Moonfall

Armageddon, starring Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck, followed astronauts on their space mission to prevent an asteroid from colliding with Earth.

And while Tyson said it was the least scientifically accurate movie he’s ever seen, there was one movie that took the cake in his opinion.

That was the 2022 film Moonfall, starring Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson.

‘The moon was hollow and there is a moon creature? Sorry, I can’t go there,” Tyson said of Moonfall.

However, he gushed about The Martian and the 2011 novel of the same name on which it was based.

“The author (Drew Goddard) was an engineer turned novelist. He did all the calculations so the science is accurate.

‘The film is directed by Ridley Scott and has great actors. It is a science fiction film in which science itself was a character. You made them care about science!’

Tyson, a prolific book author and former director of New York’s Hayden Planetarium, has guested on The Big Bang Theory and hosted Cosmos: A Space Odyssey, which won a Critics Choice award for best TV reality show.

Tyson said Deep Impact is another film that is scientifically accurate, starring Elijah Wood and Morgan Freeman.

The 1998 film follows a team of astronauts as they attempt to land on a comet and plant explosives to prevent it from blasting into Earth.

“Deep Impact had good physics and NASA advisors and of course Carl Sagan’s (book) Contact,” he said.

Tyson revealed he is most impressed with director Christopher Nolan – director of Oppenheimer (pictured on set) Inception and Interstellar

Tyson admitted he saw the blockbuster Oppenheimer last summer right before Barbie, the phenomenon known as Barbenheimer

Tyson revealed he was most impressed by director Christopher Nolan – director of Inception and Interstellar – and admitted he saw his blockbuster Oppenheimer this summer just before Barbie, the phenomenon known as Barbenheimer.

‘You’ve got to love where Nolan is going with his films. He plays with time and space,” Tyson said.

“He did Oppenheimer – I did Barbieheimer and saw both films on the same day!”

Tyson made a suggestion for the order in which you should watch the contrasting films.

“You should see Barbie second because it cleanses your system afterwards.”

‘I like directors with a broad palette of possibilities, because then you can be much more creative than if you only stick to one genre. So watch (Nolan’s) movies – all of them!’

The scientist organizes live lectures in which he says he offers topics to the audience and they choose a topic to discuss.

‘The conversation is about what they pick!’ he said. ‘One is the search for life in the universe, the other is called Cosmic Collisions, which is everything that comes across at night, including asteroid impacts on Earth, colliding galaxies and colliding black holes.

‘I am a servant of people’s curiosity. I’m not trying to ram anything down people’s throats.’