Editing Brian May (section)

==Scientific career==
[[File:Rock Star and Astrophysicist Brian May Visits Paranal.jpg|thumbnail|upright=1.3|May in 2015 at the [[Paranal Observatory]] in the [[Atacama Desert]] in Chile]]
{{See also|List of celebrities with advanced degrees}}
May studied physics and mathematics at Imperial College London, graduating with a BSc (Hons) degree and [[Associate of the Royal College of Science|ARCS]] in physics with [[Second-class honours|Upper Second-Class Honours]]. From 1970 to 1974, he studied for a PhD degree<ref name=mayphd/> at Imperial College, studying reflected light from [[interplanetary dust]] and the velocity of dust in the plane of the Solar System. When Queen began to have international success in 1974, he abandoned his doctoral studies, but nonetheless co-authored two [[peer review|peer-review]]ed research papers,<ref name=HicksMay1972>{{cite journal|last1=Hicks|first1=Tom R.|last2=May|first2=Brian H.|last3=Reay|first3=N. Ken|title=MgI Emission in the Night Sky Spectrum|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|volume=240|issue=5381|year=1972|pages=401–402|issn=0028-0836|doi=10.1038/240401a0|bibcode = 1972Natur.240..401H |s2cid=4193025}}</ref><ref name=HicksMay1974>{{cite journal|last1=Hicks|first1=T. R.|last2=May|first2=B. H.|last3=Reay|first3=N. K.|last4=Ring|first4=J.|title=An Investigation of the Motion of Zodiacal Dust Particles—I: Radial Velocity Measurements on Fraunhofer Line Profiles|journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]|volume=166|issue=2|year=1974|pages=439–448|issn=0035-8711|doi=10.1093/mnras/166.2.439|bibcode=1974MNRAS.166..439H|doi-access=free}}</ref> which were based on his observations at the [[Teide Observatory]] in Tenerife.

In October 2006, May re-registered for his doctorate at Imperial College, and he submitted his thesis in August 2007 (one year earlier than he estimated it would take to complete). As well as writing up the previous work he had done, May had to review the work on zodiacal dust undertaken during the intervening 33 years, which included the discovery of the zodiacal dust bands by [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]]'s [[IRAS]] satellite. After a [[Oral exam|viva voce]], the revised thesis (titled "A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud")<ref name=mayphd/> was approved in September 2007, some 37 years after it had been commenced.<ref name="Queen star hands in science PhD"/><ref name=buzzcocksphd>{{cite episode| series=Never Mind The Buzzcocks| station=BBC| series-no=21| number=10| minutes=25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brianmay.com/brian/biog.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525083058/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/biog.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 May 2012 |title=BRIAN MAY – Official Biography |work=Brianmay.com |access-date=24 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last =May| first =Brian| title =News| url =http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsjul07.html| archive-url =https://archive.today/20120720094841/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsjul07.html| url-status=dead| archive-date =20 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title=Queen star celebrates doctorate |work=BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6961171.stm |access-date=25 August 2007 | date=23 August 2007 }}</ref> He was able to submit his thesis only because of the minimal amount of research on the topic during the intervening years and has described the subject as one that became in-demand again in the 2000s.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Queen Guitarist (And Astrophysicist) Brian May On His Work With NASA|last=Kluger|first=Jeffrey|date=2 January 2019|url=https://time.com/5492147/brian-may-ultima-thule/|access-date=8 October 2020|magazine=Time|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022061131/https://time.com/5492147/brian-may-ultima-thule/|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-date=22 October 2020}}</ref> In his doctoral research, he investigated [[radial velocity]] using [[absorption spectroscopy]] and [[doppler spectroscopy]] of [[zodiacal light]] using a [[Fabry–Pérot interferometer]] based at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife. His research was initially supervised by Jim Ring,<ref name=mathgene/> Ken Reay<ref name=mathgene/> and in the latter stages by [[Michael Rowan-Robinson]].<ref name=mayphd/> He graduated at the awards ceremony of Imperial College held in the Royal Albert Hall on 14 May 2008.<ref>{{cite news|title=Imperial College Graduation|url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/37754/imperial-college-graduation/|agency=Imperial College London|date=23 May 2018|access-date=23 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524080822/https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/37754/imperial-college-graduation/|archive-date=24 May 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Lintott, Moore, May.jpg|thumb|left|May (right) with [[Patrick Moore]] and [[Chris Lintott]] at [[Astronomy Now#AstroFest|AstroFest]] in 2007]]
In October 2007, May was appointed a visiting researcher in Imperial College and he continues his interest in astronomy and involvement with the Imperial Astrophysics Group. He is co-author, with Sir [[Patrick Moore]] and [[Chris Lintott]], of ''Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe''<ref name=bang>{{cite book |last1=May |first1=Brian |author-link1=Brian May |last2=Moore |first2=Patrick |last3=Lintott |first3=Chris |title=Bang! The Complete History of the Universe |url=https://archive.org/details/bangcompletehist0000mayb |date=2006 |publisher=[[Carlton Publishing Group|Carlton]] |isbn=1-84442-552-5 |url-access=registration }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=9 March 2007 |title=Queen star hands in science PhD |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6929290.stm |access-date=2 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229174815/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6929290.stm |archive-date=29 December 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''The Cosmic Tourist''.<ref name=tourist>{{cite book |last1=May|first1=Brian |author-link1= Brian May|last2=Moore |first2=Patrick |last3= Lintott|first3= Chris |title=The Cosmic Tourist |date=2012 |publisher=[[Carlton Publishing Group|Carlton]] |isbn=978-1-84732-619-5 }}</ref> May appeared on the 700th episode of ''[[The Sky at Night]]'' hosted by Sir Patrick Moore, along with Chris Lintott, [[Jon Culshaw]], Professor [[Brian Cox (physicist)|Brian Cox]], and the [[Astronomer Royal]] [[Martin Rees]] who, on departing the panel, told Brian May, who was joining it, "I don't know a scientist who looks as much like [[Isaac Newton]] as you do."<ref name="Guardian-2011">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/13/monroe-james-nesbitt-brian-cox|title=Wonders of the Universe; The Sky at Night|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=23 May 2012|location=London|first=Andrew|last=Anthony|date=13 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218230417/http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/13/monroe-james-nesbitt-brian-cox|archive-date=18 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> May was also a guest on the first episode of the third series of the BBC's ''[[Stargazing Live]]'', on 8 January 2013.

On 17 November 2007, May was appointed chancellor of [[Liverpool John Moores University]],<ref name="New Chancellor confirmed">{{cite web|url=http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NewsUpdate/index_92016.htm |title=New Chancellor confirmed |work=Ljmu.ac.uk |publisher=Liverpool John Moores University |date=23 November 2007 |access-date=24 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906210108/http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NewsUpdate/index_92016.htm |archive-date=6 September 2010 }}</ref> and he was installed in 2008 having also been awarded an honorary fellowship from the university for his contribution to astronomy and services to the public understanding of science.<ref name="May installed as uni chancellor">{{cite news|title=May installed as uni chancellor |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7345958.stm |date=14 April 2008 |access-date=14 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415225512/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7345958.stm |archive-date=15 April 2008 }}</ref> He held the post until 2013.<ref name="Guardian-2011"/> Asteroid [[52665 Brianmay]] was named after him on 18 June 2008<!-- MPC 63173 --> on the suggestion of Patrick Moore (probably influenced by the asteroid's provisional designation of {{mp|1998 '''BM'''|30}}).<ref name="rdspecial">{{cite web |url=http://www.brianmayworld.com/Brian_May.htm |title=the may-keeters homepage |last=May |first=Brian |year=2004 |publisher=brianmayworld.com |access-date=2 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206023000/http://www.brianmayworld.com/Brian_May.htm |archive-date=6 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=52665 |title= JPL Small-Body Database Browser |author= NASA |access-date= 19 July 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130821231555/http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=52665 |archive-date= 21 August 2013 |url-status= live }}</ref>

[[File:Brian May (NHQ201812310024) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|May at Johns Hopkins University on 31 December 2018 before the ''[[New Horizons]]'' flyby of the Kuiper belt object [[486958 Arrokoth]]]]
In 2014, May co-founded [[Asteroid Day]] with [[Apollo 9]] astronaut [[Rusty Schweickart]], [[B612 Foundation]] COO Danica Remy and German filmmaker [[Grigorij Richters]]. Asteroid Day is a global awareness campaign where people from around the world come together to learn about [[asteroids]] and what we can do to [[Asteroid impact avoidance|protect our planet]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2015/jun/30/brian-may-asteroid-day-can-help-protect-the-planet |title=Brian May: Asteroid Day can help protect the planet |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |author=Dr. Stuart Clark |access-date=3 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702175840/http://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2015/jun/30/brian-may-asteroid-day-can-help-protect-the-planet |archive-date=2 July 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> May was a guest at the 2016 Starmus Festival where he also performed on stage with composer [[Hans Zimmer]]. The theme was ''Beyond The Horizon: A Tribute To Stephen Hawking''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Starmus 3 full schedule announced |url=http://cs.astronomy.com/asy/b/daves-universe/archive/2016/05/16/starmus-3-full-schedule-announced.aspx |access-date=6 January 2019 |agency=CS.Astronomy.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720194949/http://cs.astronomy.com/asy/b/daves-universe/archive/2016/05/16/starmus-3-full-schedule-announced.aspx |archive-date=20 July 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the ''New Horizons'' Pluto flyby NASA press conference held on 17 July 2015 at [[Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab]], May was introduced as a science team collaborator. He told the panel "You have inspired the world."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAGwxl7FZWw&t=6m18s|title=NASA News Conference on the New Horizons Mission|last=NASA|date=17 July 2015|access-date=6 April 2018|via=YouTube|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325122314/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAGwxl7FZWw&t=6m18s|archive-date=25 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/feature/rock-starastrophysicist-dr-brian-may-goes-backstage-with-new-horizons|title=Rock Star/Astrophysicist Dr. Brian May Backstage With New Horizons|first=Tricia|last=Talbert|date=21 July 2015|website=Nasa.gov|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206154006/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/rock-starastrophysicist-dr-brian-may-goes-backstage-with-new-horizons/|archive-date=6 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> From 31 December 2018 until 1 January 2019, May was in attendance at the watch party for the New Horizons flyby of the Kuiper belt object, [[486958 Arrokoth]], and performed an updated version of his "New Horizons" celebratory song.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Sarah |title=NASA's New Horizons spacecraft just visited the farthest object ever explored |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/12/31/most-distant-space-encounter-history-is-happening-now/ |access-date=1 January 2019 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101031117/https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/12/31/most-distant-space-encounter-history-is-happening-now/ |archive-date=1 January 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> As part of May's role as a collaborator with NASA's science team on the New Horizons mission, he worked on the first [[Anaglyph 3D|stereoanaglyph]] based on images of (486958) Arrokoth that were captured by the spacecraft.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=3 January 2019 |title=NASA New Horizons, Ultima Thule: press briefing on the results from the flyby |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypKY4WGaeu8&t=16m33s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ypKY4WGaeu8 |archive-date=11 December 2021 |access-date=4 January 2019 |magazine=Rolling Stone |publisher=CBS News}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 2019, he was awarded the [[Lawrence J. Burpee Medal]] of the [[Royal Canadian Geographical Society]] for outstanding contributions to the advancement of geography.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/queens-brian-may-receives-rcgs-medal-toronto|title=Queen's Brian May receives RCGS medal in Toronto|publisher=[[Royal Canadian Geographical Society|RCGS]]|access-date=24 October 2019|date=26 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001042139/https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/queens-brian-may-receives-rcgs-medal-toronto|archive-date=1 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2020, he participated in the team that contributed the stereography images of numerical simulations of asteroid disruptions and re-accumulations in a publication in the peer-reviewed journal [[Nature Communications]] by [[Patrick Michel|Michel, P.]] et al. (2020) presenting a scenario of formation of the asteroids [[101955 Bennu|(101955) Bennu]] and [[162173 Ryugu|(162173) Ryugu]], visited by NASA [[OSIRIS-REx]] and JAXA [[Hayabusa2]] probes, respectively.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Collisional formation of top-shaped asteroids and implications for the origins of Ryugu and Bennu |journal=Nature Communications |year=2020 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-16433-z |last1=Michel |first1=P. |last2=Ballouz |first2=R.-L. |last3=Barnouin |first3=O. S. |last4=Jutzi |first4=M. |last5=Walsh |first5=K. J. |last6=May |first6=B. H. |last7=Manzoni |first7=C. |last8=Richardson |first8=D. C. |last9=Schwartz |first9=S. R. |last10=Sugita |first10=S. |last11=Watanabe |first11=S. |last12=Miyamoto |first12=H. |last13=Hirabayashi |first13=M. |last14=Bottke |first14=W. F. |last15=Connolly |first15=H. C. |last16=Yoshikawa |first16=M. |last17=Lauretta |first17=D. S. |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=2655 |pmid=32461569 |pmc=7253434 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.2655M }}</ref> He was awarded the JAXA Hayabusa2 Honor Award for his contribution by making stereoscopic images of Ryugu.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2018/07/04 What's new? |url=http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180704je/index_e.html |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=JAXA Hayabusa2 project |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Patrick Michel on LinkedIn: #hayabusa2 #JAXA #hayabusa2 |url=https://www.linkedin.com/posts/patrickmichelcnrs_hayabusa2-jaxa-hayabusa2-activity-6887031209151479810-9zL5 |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=linkedin.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ブライアン・メイ氏のアートブックに「はやぶさ２」が出現！ – Hayabusa2 is featured in the Brian May art book! – |url=https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/gallery/feature/isas/isas_20220617_en.html |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=宇宙科学研究所 |language=ja}}</ref>

[[File:Brian May receives Stephen Hawking medal at Starmus IV Festival Yerevan, Armenia.jpg|thumb|May (second from left) receives the [[Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication]] at the [[Starmus Festival|Starmus IV festival]] in Armenia in 2022]]
In 2021, he contributed the stereography images of the structural stability of double asteroid [[65803 Didymos|(65803) Didymos]], the target of the NASA [[Double Asteroid Redirection Test|DART]] and ESA [[Hera (space mission)|Hera]] missions, in a publication in the peer-reviewed journal [[Icarus (journal)|Icarus]] by DART and Hera team members.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Yun |last2=Michel |first2=Patrick |last3=Richardson |first3=Derek C. |last4=Barnouin |first4=Olivier S. |last5=Agrusa |first5=Harrison F. |last6=Tsiganis |first6=Kleomenis |last7=Manzoni |first7=Claudia |last8=May |first8=Brian H. |date=1 July 2021 |title=Creep stability of the DART/Hera mission target 65803 Didymos: II. The role of cohesion |journal=Icarus |language=en |volume=362 |pages=114433 |doi=10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114433 |bibcode=2021Icar..36214433Z |s2cid=233701042 |issn=0019-1035|doi-access=free |url=https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03381684/file/1-s2.0-S0019103521001172-main.pdf }}</ref> He is also on the advisory board of the [[NEO-MAPP]] project ([[Near-Earth object|Near-Earth-Object]] Modelling and Payloads for Protection), funded by the European Union.<ref>{{cite web |last=Neo-Mapp |title=Brian May, Ph.D. |url=https://neomapp.eu/advisory_board/brian-may-ph-d/ |access-date=1 March 2022 |website=NEO MAPP |language=en-US |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301121810/https://neomapp.eu/advisory_board/brian-may-ph-d/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2022, May was awarded a [[Doctorate of Science]] honoris causa by Professor Brad Gibson in the EA Milne Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Hull.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Congratulations to all our students who are graduating at the University of Hull |url=https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/more/media-centre/news/2022/congratulations-to-all-our-students-who-are-graduating-at-the-university-of-hull.aspx |access-date=16 July 2022 |website=hull.ac.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> Unable to attend in person, he joined the graduation ceremony via video link.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Branniganpublished |first=Paul |date=14 July 2022 |title=Queen's Brian May is now a Doctor of Science: watch his acceptance speech |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/queens-brian-may-is-now-a-doctor-of-science-watch-his-acceptance-speech |access-date=16 July 2022 |website=loudersound |language=en}}</ref> At the [[Starmus Festival|Starmus IV festival]] in [[Yerevan]], [[Armenia]] in September 2022, May was awarded the [[Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication]].<ref>{{cite news |title=STARMUS VI: Brian May awarded with Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication in Yerevan |url=https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1091778.html |access-date=5 September 2022 |agency=Armenpress |date=5 September 2022}}</ref>

In December 2022 May was made a [[Knight Bachelor]] in the [[2023 New Year Honours]], the first list of [[Charles III|King Charles III]]'s reign.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Sarah |last=Bell |date=30 December 2022 |title=New Year Honours 2023: Brian May and Lionesses on list |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64125449 |work=BBC News |access-date=5 March 2023}}</ref> In March 2023, May was officially knighted by the King.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64960536 | title=Brian May knighted by King at Buckingham Palace | date=15 March 2023 | work=BBC News |access-date=15 March 2023}}</ref>