The best new popular science books of September 2026 include new titles by Carlo Rovelli and Xand van Tulleken

• Scientists analyzed a catalog of nearly 3,000 type Ia supernovas, which occur when white dwarf stars explode after absorbing too much matter from companion stars. • The study found evidence that dark energy may evolve over time rather than remaining fixed, challenging the standard model of cosmology.

• Astronomers discovered a massive molecular cloud named Eos located approximately 307 light-years from the Sun. • Models indicate the cloud is undergoing photoevaporation, a process where radiation strips away gas, over a timescale of about 5.7 million years.

• The US Navy launched its first V-2 rocket from a ship at sea on September 6, 1947, as part of a ballistic missile test. • Although the specific test was unsuccessful, it proved that Navy ships could serve as floating launch pads for ballistic missiles.

• Physicists have discovered a tiny glitch in time itself, which may imply a fundamental uncertainty in measuring time, according to unconventional quantum theories. • The effect, supported by research from the Foundational Questions Institute, suggests that quantum collapse models could have surprising consequences for the nature of time and the precision of clocks.

• The Expedition 75 crew performed science hardware maintenance and spacesuit upkeep aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. • One crew member disconnected and stowed physics hardware used for crystal growth research inside the Destiny Microgravity Science Glovebox.

• NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope recently completed a census of dozens of small, icy worlds located in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. • The telescopes analyzed these distant objects to gather data on the composition and distribution of early planet formation materials.

• Astronomers combined the Hubble and Webb space telescopes for the first time to search for small, faint frozen objects in the outer Solar System. • The team focused their search on tiny worlds located beyond the orbit of Neptune.

• NASA scientists used the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes to study Trans-Neptunian Objects, which are icy bodies located beyond the orbit of Neptune. • The research focused on how these distant solar system objects retain chemical or physical signatures that reflect their past environments.

• NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered a rare cosmic object 11.8 billion light-years away that emits X-rays. • This object is a "little red dot," a type of compact galaxy that typically does not shine in X-rays despite being powered by a black hole.

• Researchers propose that microscopic fragments of technology from extinct alien civilizations may have landed on the moon after traveling through interstellar space. • The team claims that these tiny technological remnants could be identified and found in a relatively short amount of time.

• Astronomers are using fast radio bursts, which are intense pulses of radio waves from deep space, to investigate the nature of dark matter and dark energy. • Researchers have established that these bursts serve as a leading probe for mapping how matter is distributed across the universe.