Outreach and educational activities

True colour image of the planetary nebula M27 (Dumb-bell Nebula), taken at Loiano (with BFOSC and CCD EEV) by Stefano Bernabei and the students Matteo Barnabè, Rodolfo Canestrari and Matteo Montemaggi. Exposure times were 120 s in $R$, 300 s in $B$, 100 s in $V$.

People involved at OAB:

• Scientific staff: B. Marano, G. Parmeggiani, V. Zitelli, R. Bedogni, A. Cappi, E. Ciotti, G. Clementini, A. D'Ercole, F.R. Ferraro, F. Fusi Pecci, R. Sancisi, F. Delpino.

• Technical staff: A. De Blasi, R. Di Luca.

Over the past years, the Bologna Astronomical Observatory (OAB) has been involved more and more in outreach and educational activities through: seminars, exhibitions and radio/tv programs. The growth of public interest toward astronomy and astrophysics has developed a stable partnership between the Observatory and other institutions like the Institute of Radio Astronomy (CNR Bologna), the amateur astronomers of Bologna and S. Giovanni in Persiceto (Bo).

Il Parco delle Stelle and Con il laser tra le stelle are two of the most successful activities started in 1996-1997 and enriched, during 2001, with the following events:

1. Col Favore del Buio

2. Con il laser tra le stelle

3. Le conquiste della ricerca spaziale

4. IperAstro

5. Il Notiziario Astronomico

6. Educational Courses:
   a) Conferenze della Specola
   b) L'Universo e l'origine della vita
   c) Galassie ed evoluzione dell'Universo
   d) Concorso Altri Mondi