John C. Mather

The James Webb Space Telescope has been providing breathtaking images from space - and of its beginnings - for about a year. The telescope, with a tennis-court-sized solar sail and a 6.5-meter mirror, opens up the possibility of looking farther into the universe than ever before and answering fundamental questions about the formation of galaxies, stars and planets. Astrophysicist and Nobel laureate John C. Mather played a leading role in the telescope's development. He provides insights into his award-winning research and opens up new perspectives on the universe.

John C. Mather, born in 1946, is an American astrophysicist and project manager for the James Webb Space Telescope at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Together with George F. Smoot, he used microwave radiation to prove the Big Bang theory beyond any doubt. For this they received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006.

Introduction: Prof. Dr. Hans-Walter Rix, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy Heidelberg

Language: English

In the framework of the International Science Festival - Geist Heidelberg

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