John C. Mather receiving his Nobel Prize from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at the Stockholm Concert Hall, 10 December 2006. Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2006
Photo: Hans Mehlin

John C. Mather after receiving his Nobel Prize at the Stockholm Concert Hall, 10 December 2006. Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2006
Photo: Hans Mehlin

John C. Mather with his wife, Jane Mather, after the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2006
Photo: Hans Mehlin

John C. Mather conversing with Mrs Yahli Lorch, wife of Roger D. Kornberg, 2006 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, at the Nobel Banquet, 10 December 2006. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2006
Photo: Hans Mehlin

John C. Mather delivering his banquet speech.

Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2006. Photo: Hans Mehlin

Their Majesties Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (middle) posing with John C. Mather and his wife, Jane Mather (left), and George F. Smoot and Christina Skube (right) at the Nobel Banquet, 10 December 2006. Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2006
Photo: Torbjörn Zadig

The Nobel Laureates in Physics and the Royal Swedish siblings. Left to right: Crown Princess Victoria, George F. Smoot, Prince Carl Philip, Christina Skube, Princess Madeleine, John C. Mather, and Jane Mather. Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2006
Photo: Torbjörn Zadig

All the 2006 Nobel Laureates assembled for a group photo during their visit to the Nobel Foundation, 12 December 2006. Left to right: John C. Mather, Edmund S. Phelps, Roger Kornberg, Dipal Chandra Barua (representing Grameen Bank), Orhan Pamuk, Andrew Z. Fire, Craig C. Mello, Muhammad Yunus, and George F. Smoot. Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2006
Photo: Torbjörn Zadig

John C. Mather during the Nobel Foundation reception at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm, 9 December 2006. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2006
Photo: Hans Mehlin

John C. Mather delivering his Nobel Lecture at the Aula Magna, Stockholm University, 8 December 2006. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2006
Photo: Mirek Labedzki

George F. Smoot and John C. Mather after delivering their Nobel Lectures at the Aula Magna, Stockholm University, 8 December 2006. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2006
Photo: Mirek Labedzki

From left: Per Carlson, George F. Smoot and John C. Mather at the Aula Magna, Stockholm University, 8 December 2006. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2006
Photo: Mirek Labedzki

John C. Mather, like many Nobel Laureates before him, autographs a chair at Kafé Satir at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, 6 December 2006.

Copyright © The Nobel Museum 2006 Photo: Fredrik Persson

John C. Mather (left) and George F. Smoot (middle) at the interview in Stockholm, 6 December 2006. The interviewer is Adam Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Nobelprize.org. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2006
Photo: Hans Mehlin

John C. Mather at NASA.

Photo: NASA

Nobel Laureate John C. Mather at a press conference held at the NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, USA, after the announcement of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Nobel Laureate John C. Mather shows some of the earliest data from the NASA Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) Satellite during a press conference held at the NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, USA.

Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls

John C. Mather (far left) and his colleagues at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center examine a map of the universe.

Photo: NASA