Brian May, known as the guitarist of the legendary British rock group Queen, is now a doctor in astrophysics.

May, who is now 60 years old, gave up his scientific career in 1974 in order to pursue his passion for music.

"I'm feeling rather joyful. I cannot tell you how much of a weight off the mind it is," May said after he passed his oral exam.

Earlier this month, Brian May handed in its 48,000-word study of interplanetary dust entitled Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud at Imperial College, London. Brain May resumed his doctoral studies last year.

"I feel comfortable about using the title because I worked for this, and I'm going to be proud to call myself Doctor from now on," May said for BBC News.

Brian May will be conferred officially with the title at a ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in May next year.

Brian May already was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in November 2002 by the University of Hertfordshire and another in July 2007 by the University of Exeter.

Also the guitarist recently published a book on astronomy with The Sky at Night presenter Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott.