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Aside from being a rock star as Queen\u2019s guitarist, Sir Brian May<\/a> has a number of other prominent interests from animal rights campaigning to astrophysics and the 3D illusions of stereoscopy.<\/p>\n Today, the 77-year-old made a surprise appearance at AstroFest, the world’s leading astronomy festival, held in London\u2019s Kensington Conference and Events Centre.<\/p>\n Sir Brian, who holds a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College, announced to an audience of several hundred that under his publishing house, The London Stereoscopic Company, he will release a groundbreaking new book \u2013 the first ever to explore the wonders of galaxies in 3-D.<\/p>\n Galaxies 3-D: Islands in Infinity is being written by leading astronomer Professor Derek Ward-Thompson and edited by Sir Brian himself.<\/p>\n The 3-D pictures are the creation of J-P Mets\u00e4vainio, who is acclaimed in both arts and science communities worldwide for his cutting edge astrophotography image processing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sir Brian May shared: \u201cI\u2019m excited about this latest addition to the London Stereoscopic Company\u2019s Astro collection. For the very first time, readers will be able to enjoy stereoscopic renderings of galaxies previously only seen as flat \u2018mono\u2019 images. And this, coupled with a text from one of the world\u2019s experts on Galactic Evolution, will give a uniquely new insight into the Universe as it is now perceived. Moreover, it\u2019s an account understandable and enjoyable by anyone interested in the biggest subject in the Universe – not just astro experts. It will be a gripping read!!\u201d<\/p>\n The announcement shared: \u201cAt AstroFest, Brian and the forthcoming title’s author, Professor Ward-Thompson, revealed some first glimpses of the book \u2019s contents, enthralling AstroFest\u2019s audience of astronomy enthusiasts. They saw rare, breathtaking images of galaxies near the farthest edges of the known Universe – viewed as they were over 13 billion years ago, because the light from them has been travelling towards us ever since an epoch just after the moment of the Big Bang. Thanks to the magic of Mets\u00e4vainio\u2019s magic processes, they will be viewable in the book in full stereoscopic splendour.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The announcement added: \u201cWith more than 200 colour photographs from the world\u2019s great telescopes, both terrestrial and spaceborne, the stunning coffee table book will provide a mesmerising introduction to the formation, nature, evolution and classification of some of the 200 billion galaxies that inhabit the observable Universe. We\u2019re taken on a journey, travelling through weird and wonderful shapes as great galaxies collide and merge in chaotic and extraordinarily forms. And, moving out towards the edge of the visible Universe, we examine how galaxies gather in clusters and superclusters as we look outwards and back in time towards the beginning of the Universe at the Big Bang.\u201d<\/p>\n Galaxies 3-D: Islands in Infinity will be published this autumn, and each copy comes complete with an Owl Stereoscopic Viewer, designed by Brian May, which will bring the images to life in fantastic 3-D. To find out now, click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n