Noted science writer and filmmaker Timothy Ferris will present Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Astronomers are Probing Deep Space & Guarding Earth from Interplanetary Peril Wednesday, May 21, 7 p.m. in the Smithwick Theater at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. Admission is free and the public is invited.

An award-winning author and PBS commentator, Ferris will discuss the contributions amateur astronomers are making to the field of astronomy—from the discovery of new comets and exploding stars to the search for old asteroids that might collide with Earth. New technologies, within the reach of even modest budgets, have transformed the hobby of astronomy in recent years, and Ferris has chronicled these developments for the New Yorker and for his widely praised new book, Seeing in the Dark, which he will be signing after the lecture.

A public star party featuring night sky observing at the Foothill College Observatory with telescopes and guidance provided by the Peninsula Astronomical Society will follow Ferris’s talk. Local amateurs are invited to set up their own telescopes. Star party-goers should dress for cold weather.

The lecture is presented as part of the 4th Annual Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series sponsored by Foothill College, NASA-Ames Research Center, SETI Institute and Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Arrive early to locate parking. Visitors must purchase a required campus parking permit for $2. Parking lots 1, 5, 6 and 7 provide easy access to the theater. From Interstate 280, exit El Monte Road and travel west.

For more information, call (650) 949-7888.