John C. Mather
Pioneering Astrophysicist | James Webb Space Telescope Lead
About
John C. Mather is a Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist who leads the science team behind NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope ever launched into space.
As a Senior Astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Mather has dedicated his career to unlocking the secrets of the early universe. His groundbreaking research on the cosmic microwave background radiation earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics, offering transformative insights into the origins and evolution of our cosmos.
Mather's keynotes bring audiences face-to-face with the awe-inspiring frontiers of scientific discovery, sharing his unique perspective on humanity's place in the universe.
Talks1
How the James Webb Space Telescope will unfold the universe
The James Webb Space Telescope is a miracle of modern science and engineering. With a 21-foot, gold-coated mirror protected by a sunshield that's the size of a tennis court, it's the world's most powerful telescope and humanity's latest attempt to answer questions like: "Where did we come from?" and "Are we alone?" (It also needed to be folded up like origami in order to launch into space.) Nobel Laureate John C. Mather, the leader of the team at NASA that built the Webb, explains how the telescope will observe the first galaxies to form in the early universe, peer behind clouds of cosmic dust and gas to reveal stars being born and uncover new details about places like Europa and Titan, which could harbor life. "We're going to get a great surprise from this telescope," Mather says.
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