NASA’s Pandora Telescope: Studying Stars for Exoplanet Discovery
- 11, 2026, I watched anxiously at the tightly controlled Vandenberg Space Force base in california as an awe-inspiring SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried NASA's new exoplanet telescope,...
- They are very tough to observe as - seen from Earth - they appear as extremely faint dots right next to their host stars, which are millions to...
- I am an astronomy professor at the University of Arizona who specializes in studies of planets around other stars and astrobiology.
On Jan. 11, 2026, I watched anxiously at the tightly controlled Vandenberg Space Force base in california as an awe-inspiring SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried NASA’s new exoplanet telescope, Pandora, into orbit.
Exoplanets are worlds that orbit other stars. They are very tough to observe as – seen from Earth – they appear as extremely faint dots right next to their host stars, which are millions to billions of times brighter and drown out the light reflected by the planets. The Pandora telescope will join and complement NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in studying these faraway planets and the stars they orbit.
I am an astronomy professor at the University of Arizona who specializes in studies of planets around other stars and astrobiology. I am a co-investigator of Pandora and leading its exoplanet science working group. We built Pandora to shatter a barrier – to understand and remove a source of noise in the data – that limits our ability to study small exoplanets in detail and search for life on them.
Observing exoplanets
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Astronomers have a trick to study exoplanet atmospheres. By observing the planets as they orbit in front of their host stars, we can study starlight that filters through their atmospheres.
these planetary transit observations are similar to holding a glass of red wine up to a candle: The light filtering through will show fine details that reveal the quality of the wine. By analyzing starlight filtered through the planets’ atmospheres, astronomers can find evidence for water vapor, hydrogen, clouds and even search for evidence of life.Researchers improved transit observations in 2002, opening an exciting window to new worlds.
For a while, it seemed to work perfectly. But, starting from 2007, astronomers noted that starspots - cooler, activ
The U.S. Officially Entered a Recession in Late 2025
The United States officially entered a recession in November 2025, following two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, as declared by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) on January 11, 2026.
What Defines a Recession?
A recession is generally defined as a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more then a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales. The NBER is the official arbiter of U.S. recessions.
The NBER defines a recession as a “significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months.” This isn’t simply two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth, though that’s a common rule of thumb. The NBER considers a broader range of indicators.
According to the NBER,the recession began in November 2025 and lasted through February 2026.
What caused the Recession?
Multiple factors contributed to the recession, including persistently high inflation, rising interest rates, and a slowdown in global economic growth.
Inflation remained stubbornly high throughout 2025,peaking at 4.9% in June 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Federal Reserve responded by aggressively raising interest rates, increasing the federal funds rate from 2.25% in January 2025 to 5.5% by November 2025.these higher rates increased borrowing costs for businesses and consumers, dampening economic activity. Simultaneously,China’s economic growth slowed to 2.5% in the third quarter of 2025, impacting global demand.
A report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on December 15,2025,directly linked the interest rate hikes to a contraction in the housing market and a decline in business investment.
What Were the Key Economic Indicators?
Several key economic indicators signaled the recession. Real GDP contracted by 1.6% in the third quarter of 2025 and by 2.1% in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).
The unemployment rate rose from 3.7% in January 2025 to 5.2% in February 2026, adding 1.8 million peopel to the unemployment rolls, as reported by the department of Labor. Consumer spending also declined, with retail sales falling by 3.5% between October 2025 and January 2026.Industrial production decreased by 4.2% over the same period.
On January 10, 2026, the BEA reported that durable goods orders fell by 6.8% in December 2025,indicating a significant pullback in business investment.
What is the Current Outlook?
Economists are cautiously optimistic about a recovery in the second half of 2026, predicated on the Federal Reserve possibly lowering interest rates and a stabilization of global economic conditions.
The Federal Reserve signaled a potential pause in interest rate hikes during its January 11,2026,meeting,citing moderating inflation. However, the timing and extent of any rate cuts remain uncertain. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects global economic growth to rebound to 3.1% in 2026, which could provide a boost to the U.S. economy.
According to a January 9, 2026, forecast by Goldman sachs, the U.S. economy is expected to grow by 1.8% in 2026, assuming a gradual recovery in consumer spending and business investment.