Stockholm Observatory has a regular program of activities for the general public. Twice a month from October till March, the observatory makes available its 10-m-long 0.5m- and 0.6m-diameter double refractor for observations of the Moon, planets, and nebulae. Attendance is by reservation for individuals, groups or school classes. Lectures are also given by the observatory staff at these occasions. Because they are very popular they are fully booked early, and in order not to disappoint too many people, the Stockholm Observatory also has an approximately annual "Open House" on a Saturday or Sunday, at which no reservations are needed. These Open Houses may be timed to coincide with a celestial event such as a solar eclipse or the appearance of a bright comet. During 1997-98, such occasions were ``Comet nights'' on April 2, 3, and 8, 1997 in connection with comet Hale-Bopp, and the Open House on April 26, 1998. The Stockholm Observatory has a stand at the popular Saltsjöbaden Festival that takes place near Grand Hotel, Saltsjöbaden in early June every year.
Twice a week, an astronomer is on telephone-duty for questions from the general public. Other staff members are available for consultation by secondary and high school students. Stockholm Observatory also accepts apprentice students from secondary schools for one-week internships at the Observatory. A program of collaboration is ongoing with a nearby upper secondary and high school (Saltsjöbadens Samskola) which has a special astronomical curriculum. Finally, some of the faculty members and graduate students are very active in media such as radio, TV and the press. A number of astronomical articles in the newspapers, about twenty TV- and radio-programs have appeared that are based on interviews with the researchers from Stockholm Observatory. More than 50 popular lectures have been given in different cities all over Sweden.
Gösta Gahm has together with Nils Brenning (Royal Institute of Technology) been projecting Sweden Solar System (SSS), the world's largest model of the solar system, with activities planned at each planet station. In 1997-98 seven of the ten solar system stations were inaugurated at various locations in Sweden, with the Globe in Stockholm being the Sun. At some stations there are plans for more advanced models, and asteroids/comets have entered the scene as well. Several connecting exhibitions were designed, for instance at the Science Festival, SU in April 1998, when also the official ``startskott'' of the SSS took place. This project has received considerable attention in daily newspapers and magazines in the country, and also abroad. Several national and local radio and TV channels paid attention to the project.
Stockholm Observatory (Claes-Ingvar Björnsson, Stefan Larsson, Magnus Näslund and Hans Olofsson) received a grant from the KK-foundation to use astronomy to promote and popularize physics in high schools.
Stockholm Observatory has an intimate relationship with COSMONOVA, the Planetarium/Omnitheatre located at the Swedish National Museum of Natural History in Stockholm. Aage Sandqvist has been the astronomical consultant to Cosmonova since 1972, vice-chairman of the Swedish Omnitheatre (Cosmonova) Foundation since 1991, and in 1997 he was deeply involved in Cosmonova's new planetarium/omnitheatre production ``Unknown Dimension'' (Okänd Dimension). As a token of appreciation of his continuing efforts, Cosmonova is placed at the disposal of Stockholm Observatory twice a year, and free of charge, for presentations of astronomical programs to astronomy students at Stockholm University and Saltsjöbadens Samskola.