• Bone up on your Queen knowledge for a chance to win autographed items from Brian May
• “One Vision” contest opens November 28 and runs until December 31
• Read the story “Brian May’s world of stereo astro pictures” in the January 2012 Astronomy
• Watch Editor Dave Eicher’s all-time top Queen songs (online subscriber extra)
• And don’t miss May’s story about space exploration in the February 2012 Astronomy
Many of you undoubtedly know the name Brian May quite well — the legendary guitarist, singer, and composer who dazzled the world in the rock group Queen with such hits as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Tie Your Mother Down,” and “We Will Rock You.” But he’s more than a musician. Brian studied astrophysics in school before Queen took off, and some 35 years later he went back to Imperial College in London, England, to finish his Ph.D., analyzing dust in the plane of the solar system.
Just recently, Brian’s London Stereoscopic Company produced its first set of astronomy-themed stereo cards, and it’s with this new combination of stereoscopy and astronomy that Brian is giving away two signed OWL Stereoscopes from his company. Each viewer comes with Astro Series 1 of the company’s OWL 3-D Stereo Cards, which offer 12 stunning views of astronomical subjects in three dimensions, from the Moon and Sun to Phobos, Mars, the Gran Telescopio Canarias, and even Buzz Aldrin on the Moon.
To win, entrants must submit a 250–500 word essay responding to the following question: In the Queen song “39,” from the 1975 album A Night at the Opera, the song’s protagonist goes through a great terror in his interstellar journey; when he returns home, what does he find? (You can find the lyrics and listen to the song’s chorus at the official Queen website.) To get the full contest rules and learn how to enter before the end of the year, visit www.Astronomy.com/OWL.