Renowned astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson has released a new comprehensive guide to the universe titled “Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts For Navigating The Universe.” Published by National Geographic on September 15, 2026, the 400-page volume combines rigorous astronomy with colorful illustrations, charts, maps, and historical photographs designed to engage readers of all levels.
Co-authored with Tyson’s StarTalk colleague Lindsey Nyx Walker, the book serves as both an encyclopedic glossary and a visually striking coffee-table edition. Walker contributed the majority of the content, supported by a small writing team that helped refine approximately 2,000 additional entries.
Tyson emphasized the collaborative effort with National Geographic, noting this marks their fourth partnership stemming from the StarTalk podcast. “First you’ll notice how beautiful it is,” Tyson told Space.com. “This is the fourth collaboration between them and our podcast. They made it into a beautiful object that, even if you didn’t read it, you just want to look at it. From the cover to the layout and the pages and images, it’s sheer beauty.”
The book covers a wide array of topics, ranging from telescopes and exoplanets to UFOs and the Periodic Table of Elements. Tyson explained that the goal was to present information that is not only metrically accurate but also analogically engaging, ensuring facts are memorable rather than dry.
“It’s all in the spirit of, ‘Is it an interesting or tasty fact, and does it make you smile?'” Tyson said. “Because then you’ll come back for more.” He highlighted the use of pop culture references to illustrate scientific concepts, such as analyzing the physics behind the Hulk’s transformation. If the character were to change size without gaining mass, Tyson noted, his density would be comparable to a beach ball, leaving him vulnerable to being blown away by a strong breeze—a scenario often overlooked in film portrayals.
The release coincides with the recent launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on August 30, 2026. Tyson expressed enthusiasm for the public’s interest in astronomical advancements, stating, “I’m privileged to be a participant in a field where the simple launch of a telescope makes headlines.” He described the telescope as a critical tool for investigating dark matter, dark energy, and exoplanets, noting its versatile detectors allow it to serve multiple sub-communities within astrophysics.
“Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts For Navigating The Universe” is available now.
Wait, Tyson says Walker contributed most of it. Did anyone actually read the book or just look at the pretty pictures?
Love the Hulk density example! Finally, someone points out that physics gets ignored for cool visuals in superhero movies.