A US astronomer received a top honour in China Tuesday for his team's measurements of cosmic microwaves, which may prove invaluable in researching the Big Bang.
Charles L. Bennett, a professor of physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, received the 2012 Gruber Cosmology Prize in Beijing at the opening ceremony of the 28th Conference of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), Xinhua reported.
Bennett's measurements, first published several years ago, have proved to be the most accurate in the field of cosmic microwave background observation and have been broadly recognised worldwide.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping addressed the opening ceremony of the conference, the first to be hosted by China, and pledged further support for scientific research.
This year's conference has attracted than 2,000 scientists from 88 countries or regions.
Published 22 August 2012, 04:00 IST