Dr. John C. Mather, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics, will discuss the history of the universe at Marquette University on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium.
Mather, a senior astrophysicist in the Observational Cosmology Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, won the Nobel Prize for his precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Using the COBE satellite, Mather was able to confirm the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe, showing that 99.97 percent of the radiant energy of the universe was released within the first year of the primeval explosion.
He is also a senior project scientist on the James Webb Space Telescope. Scheduled to be launched in Spring 2019 from French Guiana, it will be the premiere observatory of the next decade and will be used by thousands of astronomers worldwide. Leading the science team, he represents scientific interests within management of the project.
The annual lecture, hosted by the Marquette Physics Department, is named in honor of Rev. George V. Coyne, S.J., for his astronomical research and developments. More information cab be found online.