khoji parkCelebrities · London · 2008
Queen’s Guitarist Went Back to Finish His Astronomy Thesis
Queen guitarist Brian May finalizes his doctoral thesis on zodiacal dust at Imperial College London.
Read in slides1. Initial Academic Pursuits
Brian May studied physics and mathematics at Imperial College London, earning a BSc degree with honours. From 1970 to 1974, he pursued a PhD degree studying reflected light and the velocity of dust in the solar system. His early research involved making high-resolution observations at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife. These initial efforts led to the co-authoring of two peer-reviewed research papers.
Global music success interrupted his academic research in 1974.
2. Hiatus for Music Career
As Queen achieved international fame, May put his doctoral studies on indefinite hold to focus on recording and global touring. He established himself as a prominent rock guitarist and songwriter while maintaining a personal interest in astronomy. Decades passed while he performed major stadium concerts and released numerous albums with the band. Academic pursuits remained dormant during this extensive period of musical activity.
His thesis stayed uncompleted for more than three decades.
3. Re-registration at Imperial
In October 2006, May officially re-registered for his doctoral degree at Imperial College London. He returned to the academic environment to update his previous observations and address intervening scientific developments. He spent months reviewing decades of literature regarding zodiacal dust that had accumulated since his departure. This update was necessary to bring his foundational data into a modern context.
He resumed rigorous scientific work alongside ongoing professional engagements.
4. Thesis Submission
In August 2007, May submitted his completed doctoral thesis to the physics department at Imperial College London. The document was titled A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud. It detailed his historic scans of the night sky and evaluated them against contemporary models of solar dust distribution. The submission marked the culmination of research that had originally commenced in 1970.
The university scheduled a formal viva voce examination to follow.
5. Thesis Approval
Following the oral examination, the revised thesis was formally approved by his examiners in September 2007. Supervisors noted that the intervening decades had seen minimal research in this exact niche, keeping his original data relevant. May successfully fulfilled all institutional requirements for the doctoral program. The approval came decades after he had begun the research.
The approved thesis cleared the way for his graduation ceremony.
6. Graduation Ceremony
On 14 May 2008, May attended the postgraduate awards ceremony held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He joined thousands of other students to receive his official Doctor of Philosophy degree in astrophysics. Imperial College London hosted the large event to celebrate the achievements of its postgraduate candidates. Media outlets widely covered the musician's academic achievement.
He accepted his doctoral scroll on stage during the proceedings.
7. Visiting Researcher Role
In October 2007, prior to his formal graduation, May was appointed as a visiting researcher at Imperial College. He integrated himself into the institution's Astrophysics Group to maintain active participation in astronomical studies. This role allowed him to collaborate on contemporary space missions and academic publications. He engaged regularly with researchers studying near-earth objects and interplanetary dust.
His formal affiliation with the university continued past graduation.
8. Public Science Outreach
May leveraged his scientific background to co-author several popular astronomy books alongside prominent writers. He appeared on television programs such as The Sky at Night to discuss astronomical phenomena with the public. His recognizable appearance and enthusiasm for space helped communicate complex scientific topics to wider audiences. He also co-founded Asteroid Day to raise global awareness about asteroid impacts.
Educational broadcasting became a significant focus of his post-doctoral work.
9. Space Mission Collaboration
May contributed stereographic imagery and structural analyses for space exploration missions involving asteroid targets. He worked as a science team collaborator for NASA missions studying distant bodies in the solar system. His expertise in spatial imaging aided researchers analyzing the physical stability of targeted asteroids. These contributions connected his academic training directly with active interplanetary space probes.
Space agencies utilized his imaging skills for specific mission analyses.
10. Continued Scientific Standing
Imperial College accepted May’s completed astrophysics thesis in 2007, decades after he had interrupted the work. He attended graduation in 2008. The award followed resumed research, a submitted thesis and examination rather than an honorary degree granted for his music career. His earlier observations formed part of the work he returned to finish after years performing with Queen.
The doctorate followed examination of the completed thesis.