Which musician is also an astrophysicist?

Rock stars tend to live fast and party hard, not spend their nights studying the cosmos. But somewhere between stadium tours and platinum records, one legendary guitarist found time to earn a PhD in astrophysics. Which famous musician doubles as a space scientist?

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The answer is: Brian May

Queen guitarist Brian May didn't just write "We Will Rock You," he also wrote a doctoral thesis on interplanetary dust. May started his PhD at Imperial College London in 1971, studying reflected light from dust in the solar system. Then Queen exploded into superstardom and his academic career got put on hold.

Thirty years after putting his studies aside, May finally returned to finish what he started. He dug out his old research notes from his parents' house and discovered his original work was still relevant. In 2007, at age 60, May completed his thesis "A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud" and earned his PhD.

These days, Dr. May splits his time between rocking stadiums and publishing papers about space. He's collaborated with NASA, coauthored astronomy books, and served as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013. His contributions to both music and science earned him a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire title in 2005, and in 2023, King Charles III knighted him for his services to music and charity. There's even an asteroid named after him: 52665 Brianmay. Talk about an underachiever.