“The Secrets of Our Closest Star” — William Taylor

Title: The Secrets of Our Closest Star Presenter: William Taylor Date: August 19th, 2026 For thousands of years, humans have marveled at the Sun, recognizing our total dependence on its immense power. Modern science has revealed even more about its astonishing size, complexity, and magnetic behavior. However, by cosmic standards, our Sun is entirely ordinary—giving us a perfect front-row seat to study how stars work. In this free, in-person, illuminating presentation, NASA Solar System Ambassador William Francis Taylor, MSc, will break down the mechanics behind solar activity. He’ll explore how the Sun shines, how it changes daily, what its far future holds, the impact it has on the Earth, and what it tells us about the stars. You’ll also learn about some exciting celestial events heading our way over the next few months. Weather permitting, after the lecture we’ll set up telescopes and explore the sky. This event will be co-hosted by and held at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton. William Francis Taylor, MSc, is an educator and astronomer who has served as Hamptons Observatory’s Senior Educator since 2016. A lifelong resident of Long Island's East End, William holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the City College of New York. He is now working on his doctorate at Texas A&M University. Since 2014, he has served as a NASA Solar System Ambassador, an appointed position and a role in which he volunteers to share the excitement of NASA’s space exploration missions and celestial discoveries with local communities. Over the past decade, William has hosted dozens of public and private stargazing parties, solar workshops, and lectures across New York—guiding thousands of people through rare events like transits, eclipses, and meteor showers. An expert in safe solar observation, he specializes in using advanced solar-filtered equipment to bring the dynamics of our closest star safely down to Earth for audiences of all ages.