Instant scholar: From rock star to astrophysicist, Brian May's celestial pursuit of interplanetary dust

Time of India

4 hours ago

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In the world of rock music,
Brian May
is celebrated as the iconic guitarist of
Queen
, a band that redefined the musical landscape of the 1970s and 80s. With his homemade 'Red Special' guitar and genre-defining solos in hits like Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, and I Want It All, May carved his name into rock legend. But behind the stage lights and amplifiers, another passion flickered—one rooted not in music, but in the mysteries of the cosmos. This lesser-known chapter of Brian May's life came full circle in 2007, when he completed a long-delayed PhD in astrophysics, nearly four decades after beginning it.
Titled "A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud", May's doctoral thesis is a blend of meticulous observational astrophysics and theoretical analysis, focusing on the interplanetary dust that forms the Zodiacal Cloud—a faint, diffuse band of light visible in the night sky under ideal conditions. This dust, remnants of comets and asteroid collisions, orbits the
Sun
and plays a crucial role in our understanding of the solar system's formation and dynamics.
A Thesis Interrupted by Stardom
Brian May first began work on his PhD at
Imperial College
London in the early 1970s. A physics and mathematics graduate, he was fascinated by solar system phenomena. Under the supervision of renowned astronomer Jim Ring, May embarked on an ambitious observational programme to measure the Doppler shifts in the light scattered by dust particles in the zodiacal cloud. His goal: to determine the radial velocities—essentially, the speed and direction of motion—of these dust particles relative to Earth.
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However, May's academic journey was soon interrupted. Queen's rise to stardom was meteoric, and the demands of touring, recording, and public life meant his research took a back seat. For over 30 years, the project was left incomplete, but it remained on his mind. 'I never gave up hope that one day I would return to it,' he said in interviews. In 2006, with encouragement from former collaborators and Imperial College faculty, he dusted off his old notes, updated the literature review to reflect decades of advances, and resumed his research.
The Science Behind the Stardust
The zodiacal cloud is composed of countless micron-sized dust particles that orbit the Sun in the plane of the ecliptic. This dust reflects sunlight, producing a faint glow known as zodiacal light, most easily seen just before sunrise or after sunset in areas with minimal light pollution. Though ethereal in appearance, the dust has significant scientific relevance. Its dynamics help scientists understand the processes that shaped the early solar system, and its interaction with planetary bodies and solar radiation continues to influence space weather.
Brian May's approach to studying this dust was through spectroscopic analysis—specifically, by examining the Doppler shifts in the Mg I (magnesium) absorption line at 5183.6 angstroms in the scattered sunlight. This shift provides information about the velocity of the scattering dust particles along the line of sight. If a particle moves toward Earth, the absorption line shifts slightly toward the blue end of the spectrum; if it moves away, the line shifts toward the red.
To collect the necessary data, May constructed and deployed a pressure-scanned Fabry–Pérot interferometer—a highly precise optical instrument designed to measure very small wavelength shifts in light. Observations were conducted at the Teide Observatory on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where the high altitude and clear skies made it an ideal location.
Over two extended observing sessions in 1971 and 1972, May gathered more than 250 Fabry–Pérot scans of the zodiacal light from various points along the ecliptic. These spectra were later digitized and analysed for shifts in the Mg I line, allowing the determination of radial velocities of the dust in different parts of the sky.
Findings and Implications
May's results showed that the dust particles in the zodiacal cloud do not move in a purely circular fashion. Rather, their motion exhibited asymmetries that suggest a mixture of orbital inclinations and eccentricities. In particular, he found evidence for a retrograde component—a subset of particles moving in the opposite direction to the planets' orbits—as well as signs of interstellar dust inflow, consistent with theories that our solar system continuously sweeps up material from the interstellar medium.
His measurements also supported a Keplerian motion model, wherein the dust follows elliptical orbits governed by the Sun's gravity, but also pointed to the influence of Poynting–Robertson drag—a process by which dust spirals slowly toward the Sun due to the combined effect of solar radiation pressure and the particles' own orbital motion.
In the broader context of planetary science, May's work adds observational depth to the understanding of how dust evolves within the solar system. These insights are vital for calibrating space instruments, planning interplanetary missions, and understanding the debris environment through which spacecraft travel.
A Thesis Completed—and a Scientist Reborn
In 2007, May successfully defended his thesis and was awarded a PhD by Imperial College London, more than 36 years after beginning the work. The completed dissertation included a new literature review covering the intervening decades of research on interplanetary dust, updated data analysis methods, and critical comparisons with satellite missions like IRAS (Infrared Astronomical Satellite) and Helios, which provided additional context and validation.
The completion of the thesis also marked May's full-circle return to science. He co-authored the popular science book Bang! – The Complete History of the
Universe
with astronomer Sir Patrick Moore and astrophysicist Chris Lintott, and later became Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. His blend of music and science has inspired students and fans alike, showcasing that intellectual curiosity knows no genre.
Reflections on Dual Legacies
Brian May's doctoral thesis is more than a scientific contribution—it is a testament to perseverance, intellectual ambition, and the bridging of two seemingly disparate worlds. In a sense, May represents the rare individual who refused to choose between his passions and instead found harmony between them.
'I'm a scientist at heart,' May has said. 'Music is my emotional outlet, but science is my way of understanding the universe.'
Through 'A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud', May has made a meaningful mark in the field of astrophysics, proving that rock stars can reach for the stars in more ways than one.
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