John C. Mather

John C. Mather is an American astrophysicist known for his pivotal role in advancing our understanding of the universe. He is best known for his work on the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite, which provided critical evidence for the Big Bang theory by measuring the residual heat from the early universe. Mather's research helps explain the formation of galaxies and the large-scale structure of the cosmos. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006 for his contributions, which have significantly influenced the fields of extragalactic astronomy, cosmology, and high-energy astrophysics.