A kind of magic!

Brian May's new book reveals galaxies in stunning 3D

- BY GEORGE SIMPSON

QUEEN guitarist Sir Brian May has been a star for over 50 years - but now he is hoping to get fans interested in stars of a different kind.

The 78-year-old, who has a doctorate in astrophysics, has poured his enthusiasm into a book that is the first to offer readers a chance to view galaxies in stunning 3D.

It does this through a method called stereoscopy, originating in the 19th century, which uses pairs of images to simulate depth.

Brian said Islands in Infinity: Galaxies 3-D, coauthored with Professor Derek Thompson and astrophotographer JP Metsavainio, presents the stars in a way that is accessible to everyone, whether or not they understand astrophysics.

He said: "We don't want to talk above' people. We want everyone to really understand what's going on.

"These are definitely populist books without any apologies, and there's no equations in them. Nobody has done this before.