“Queen guitarist Brian May has handed in his astronomy PhD thesis - 36 years after abandoning it to join the band.
May recently carried out observational work in Tenerife, where he studied the formation of “zodiacal dust clouds”.

The subject forms the basis of a 48,000-word thesis for Imperial College, London, where 60-year-old May studied before becoming a rock star.

“It’s been the longest gap year ever,” May said. “It was a tough decision back then to leave my studies for music.”

But the star said that at the time, his “passion for music was stronger”.

“I’m so proud to be here today,” he told BBC London. “Astronomy has always interested me. I used to love sitting at home and watching Sir Patrick Moore on the Sky at Night.”

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brian May, the lead guitarist from rock band Queen, is close to earning his doctorate in astrophysics — more than 35 years after quitting his studies to become a rock star.

May arrived on the island of La Palma in Spain’s Canary Islands several days ago to conduct astronomical observations in support of his thesis, according to a statement by the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.

His thesis, “Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud,” is the last component of his PhD studies, and May expected to complete his work on Wednesday.

“Maybe you’d like to see the Telescope we are working in,” May, 60, wrote on his Web site on Wednesday.

“Galileo … Galileo … how full of coincidences life is,” he added, referring to the lyrics in Queen’s hit song “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

After submitting his thesis at Imperial College, London, he will have to wait until university assessors approve his work to be granted his PhD next year.

May was studying astrophysics at Imperial College when he formed Queen with singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor in 1970. He dropped his doctorate research into interstellar dust as the band met with increasing success.

After Mercury’s AIDS-related death in 1991, May recorded several solo albums and set up the Brian May Band.

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