Legendary Queen guitar virtuoso Brian May it turns out can claim world-class chops not just as a rock star but also as an astrophysicist. May earned a physics degree from Imperial College in the early 1970s, just before the band hit the stratosphere. He intended to pursue a PhD and even began work on a thesis that he abandoned when the superstar lifestyle took over. Now, having just turned the big 6-Oh, May has just spent the past nine months slaving away full time to complete his original thesis, titled "Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud." While the rock star may have several honorary degrees, he wanted to earn the real thing. He’ll receive it next spring provided that his thesis is up to snuff. Meanwhile, he is down in the Canary Islands watching the night skies at the Observatory of the Roque de Los Muchachos, where he is observing the formation of zodiacal dust clouds on a 3.6-meter optical telescope. May is also a contributor to Across the Universe (subscription required), the New York Times’ new astronomy blog.
Queen Guitarist Studies the Night Skies
Legendary Queen guitar virtuoso Brian May it turns out can claim world-class chops not just as a rock star but also as an astrophysicist. May earned a physics degree from Imperial College in the early 1970s, just before the band hit the stratosphere. He intended to pursue a PhD and even began work on a […]
