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I spend this website many hours each week to share my knowledge and experience from the areas of Astronomy, Cars and Travels. Most pages are written in English that is not my own native language, so do not judge me too hard if you find grammatical errors and more.

Highlights!

(these pages could be a mix of Swedish and English)

Contents:

• NewsMostly highlights on Astrofriend's homepage, see also left column Latest News
• New linksInteresting information
• Must do stuffWhat makes your life valuable
• Speech nature science, Föredrag naturvetenskap(most speeches in Swedish)

News:

Here I have collected news I found interesting.

Technology, Astronomy, Cars, Travels etc.

23 oktober, 2020 Resor till sjöss

Min fars äventyr som sjöman under åren 1937 till 1945:

• Vem har inte drömt om att göra en jorden runt resa någon gång i sitt liv. Min pappa Evert gjorde det redan innan han var 20 år fyllda. Han mönstrade på handelsfartyg och hamnade ända borta i Kina och andra länder i Asien. Det här skedde delvis under Andra Världskriget, det var många fartyg som gick under från minor och torpeder, även svenska fartyg. Tre av fartygen han var på förliste pga detta, dock något efter att han mönstrat av. Trevligt nog har jag en hel del bilder till pappas alla berättelser om de här 7 åren till sjöss. Denna spännande historia kan ni följa här:

  travel/ world/ evert-at-sea-1937-1945/ 01-evert-at-sea-start-sv.html
  (Min fars äventyr till havs åren 1937 - 1945)

Uppdatering:
Interiörbilder från Engelsbergsarkivet av fartyget M/S Axel Johnson III
Sjömansrulla för fartyget S/S Torsa
Sjömansrulla för fartyget S/S Maria Gorthon

Other history related:

21 Oktober, 2020 Astronomy, meteorit krater

Jag har här skrivit om ett par gamla artikelar och gjort de online på hemsidan. Det är meteoritnedslagen vid Dellensjöarna och Funäsdalen:

• astronomy/ meteorite-craters/ meteorite-dellen.html
  (Meteorit kratern Dellen, 2006)
• astronomy/ meteorite-craters/ meteorite-tor.html
  (Meteorit kratern TOR, 2005)

Andra meteoritkratrar:

October 17, 2020 Cars, Chrysler Crossfire repair:

Vibrations from the wheels at higher speed could be caused from improper hub center rings. I checked these rings on my car today.

• Hub center rings:

  vehicles/ my-cars/ chrysler-crossfire/ hub-center-rings/ hub-center-rings.html
  (Hub center rings)

Other DIY repair tips for Chrysler Crossfire (Mercedes):

October 13, 2020 Cars, Chrysler Crossfire repair:

It was long time since I had to do any repair on my car. Now when winter is coming and it start to be cold. What happen then ? The engine doesn't start !

• Replacing the engine crankshaft sensor:

  vehicles/ my-cars/ chrysler-crossfire/ crankshaft-sensor/ crankshaft-sensor-01.html
  (Replacing the crankshaft sensor)

Update:
Now the sensor is replaced and the engine starts, still to test during longer period.

Other DIY repair tips for Chrysler Crossfire (Mercedes):

September 2, 2020 Travel

• These are some old photos I took long time ago. We was on the road with a new car and stopped at the hotel Gyllene Uttern. The following morning we found the nearby village Röttle. One of the most beautiful places I have visited:

  travel/ sweden/ rottle-brahehus-2007/ 01-gyllene-uttern.html
  (Röttle, Sweden 2007)

  There are also some photos from the castle Brahehus.

Other travels in Sweden:

2 september, 2020

Vaxholms Yttre Befästningslinje: Svensk historia

• Jag upplevde många tyckte det var spännande med vårt försvars gamla befästningar. Inspirerade mig att skriva om en annan, Vaxholms Yttre Befästningslinje. En av forten som ingår i den linjen är Siaröfortet.

  history/ vaxholms-yttre-befastningslinje/ 00-vaxholms-yttre-befatningslinje-sv.html
  (Vaxholms Yttre Försvarslinje, Sveriges historia)

Uppdatering:
Kompletterande text.

Annan historia relaterad till Sverige:

2 september, 2020

Myttingelinjen Värmdö: Svensk historia

• Ännu en dagsutflykt till ett gammalt försvarsfort. Myttingelinjen på Värmdö i Stockholm.

  history/ myttingelinjen-varmdo/ 00-myttingelinjen-sv.html
  (Myttingelinjen, Sveriges historia)

Uppdatering:
Kompletterande text.

Annan historia relaterad till Sverige:

18 augusti, 2020

Modellbåten Commodore från Graupner: Hobby

• Ett par år senare efter bygget av den stora balsabåten Flamingo var det dags för nästa. Den läckra båten Commodore från Graupner:

  vehicles/ models/ 03-graupner-commodore.html
  (Modellbåten Commodore från Graupner, hobby)

Andra båtar i full skala:

August 17, 2020 Astronomy, meteor showers

In August we have the Perseid meteor shower, I did it a bit different this time. I used a GoPro camera:

• astronomy/astronomy-photo/ meteor-shower/ perseids/ perseids-2020/ perseids-2020.html
  (Perseid meteor shower, 2020)

Update:
Even more objects

Other meteor showers:

August 13, 2020 Astronomy: Project

• When I use my DSLR camera for time lapse movies I wear the shutter out, it only last for 200'000 exposure and a a one minute time lapse movie take 1800 shots. I need a fully electronic controlled shutter, can a GoPro camera be used for that ?

  astronomy/projects/ project-gopro-as-timelapse/ 01-project-gopro-as-timelapse.html
  (GoPro camera for time lapse of meteor showers)

Other astronomy projects:

August 10, 2020 Astronomy: Project

• More progress on Lars B's metal cast project. Now the first parts are ready for assembling and a first test can be done, look at page two:

  astronomy/projects/ project-do-it-from-basic-by-larsb/ 01-do-it-from-basic-by-larsb.html
  (Lars B's metal cast project)

Other astronomy projects:

August 6, 2020 Cars, Chrysler Crossfire repair:

• Replacing the engine air filters:

  vehicles/ my-cars/ chrysler-crossfire/ engine-air-filter/ engine-air-filter-replacement.html
  (Replacing the air filters)

Other DIY repair tips for Chrysler Crossfire (Mercedes):

Augusti 3, 2020 Historia, Slussen rivs

• Ni har säkert inte kunnat undvika att läsa om hus gamla slussen rivs i Stockholm för att ge plats åt Nya Slussen. Nu i dagarna (år 2020) kan man läsa i tidningarna hur de funnit rester av den näst äldsta slussen, Christopher Polhems sluss. Jag har under den slussen lagt in en länk som visar bilder på vad de funnit.

  history/sverige-stockholm-slussen/ sverige-stockholm-slussen-start.html
  (Gamla slussen rivs och Nya Slussen byggs, Stockholm)

Tragiskt att läsa att de beslutat riva de gamla viktiga historiska resterna av Polhems sluss, en kulturskatt som går förlorad för alltid.

Andra saker om Sveriges historia:

July 31, 2020 Travel

• Touropia has a lot of travels videos with must see places. We use these kind of information when we plan our travels. This example is from Austria:

  travel/ travel-inspiration/ travel-inspiration.html
  (Austria, Touropia YouTube)

Other travels in Europe:

26 juli, 2020

Befästningslinjen Södra fronten: Svensk historia

• Under Coronatider gäller det att hitta spännande saker att besöka på en dagsturs avstånd. Det här är ett försvarsverk du finner söder om Stockholm.

  history/ befastningslinjen-sodra-fronten/ befastningslinjen-sodra-fronten.html
  (Befästningslinjen Södra Fronten, Sveriges historia)

Uppdatering:
Sjötorpsfortet tillagt.
Sundbyfortet tillagt.

Annan historia relaterad till Sverige:

29 juli, 2020

Modellbåten Flamingo från Wentzel: Hobby

• När jag var omkring 9 år köpte min pappa mig min första modellbåt i trä. Den har nu efter 25 år på irrfärder hamnat hemma hos mig igen:

  vehicles/ models/ 02-wentzels-flamingo.html
  (Modellbåten Flamingo från Wentzel, hobby)

Update:
Har lagt till en lista på de modeller jag byggde, båtar, bil, flygplan.

Andra båtar i full skala:

July 19, 2019 Astronomy

• From my friend Nippe I have got an article about Stockholm's old Observatory. I got permission to use it on my homepage and I have translated it to English and implemented it with my photographs from earlier:

  Sorry if the translation is not perfect, but I hope you will understand.
  Read more:

  astronomy/ observatory-sites/ stockholms-observatory/ stockholm-observatory.html
  (Stockholm's Observatory, 2009)

Other observatory sites:

July 12, 2020 Astronomy, comet

Suddenly we got a bright comet, the C/2020 F3 Neowise:

• astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ comets/ neowise-c2020-f3/ neowise-c2020-f3.html
  (Comet C/2020 F3 Neowise)

Update:
One more photo.

Other comets:

June 29, 2019 Astronomy, 3D printer

• It's time for me to adapt to new technology, 3D printing:

  3d-printing/ 3d-printer-setup/ 01-3d-printer-setup.html
  (3D Printer, assembling and setup)

Update:
Printer calibration
Update 3D printer software
Mechanical calibration

Other astronomy projects:

June 14, 2020 Photography

• Summer photowalk in Hagsätra nature.

  photography/ seasons/ summer-photowalk-in-hagsatra-2020/ summer-photowalk-in-hagsatra-2020.html
  (Hagsätra nature)

Other photography:

June 12, 2020 Cars

• I got a tips from a friend of a new place where they have car meetings, The Nut House.

  vehicles/ the-nut-house-2020/ the-nut-house-2020.html
  (The Nut House, car meeting in Sweden)

Other car meetings:

May 30, 2020 Cars, Chrysler Crossfire repair:

• Checking the front and rear suspension's rubber bushings and the ball joints:

  vehicles/ my-cars/ chrysler-crossfire/ suspension/ 01-suspension-front.html
  (Checking front and rear suspension)

Update:
Complement with more photos of the front suspension.

Other DIY repair tips for Crossfire (Mercedes):

May 29, 2020 Cars, Chrysler Crossfire video:

• On the road with my Chrysler Crossfire:

Other of my videos

May 20, 2020 Cars

• Sometimes when we are out on the roads we find fantastic things. Like this forest truck, what a beauty !

  vehicles/ forest-truck-2013/ 01-forest-truck.html
  (Forest Truck in middle of Sweden, 2013)

Other ships, cars and aircrafts:

May 10, 2020 Astronomy: Project

• My old project with a Raspberry Pi2+ as an astroserver never worked very well, the process power from the computer was to weak. Now I do a new project of it with the new power full Raspberry Pi4 with 4 GB RAM:

  astronomy/projects/project-kstars-raspberrypi4/ 01-project-kstars-raspberrypi4.html
  (Project: Raspberry Pi4 as an astroserver)

Update:
Adding a GPS receiver.
First Light.

Other astronomy projects:

April 30, 2020 Home Theatre

• It's dark and winter now. I can't use my summer car and most days are cloudy so can't do my astronomy hobby either. What to do ? Restart my old hobby Home Theatre, of course !

  sound-image/ home-theatre-resurrection/ home-theatre-resurrection.html
  (Home Theatre resurrection, 2019)

  Update:
  More details about HTPC setup and MPC.
  Test with a Raspberry Pi4 as a HTPC.

Other Sound and Image:

April 25, 2020 Astronomy: Tutorial

• I have used the free image processing software Gimp earlier to processing my astrophotos. Didn't work very well with 32 bit floating point image files. But now with the latest ver 2.10 something has happened. Here is a tutorial for the first step, how to load the 32-bit images in Gimp:

  astronomy/ tutorials/ tutorial-gimp-astrophotography/ 01-tutorial-gimp-astrophotography-introduction.html
  (How to use Gimp for editing astrophotos)

Update:
Subtraction of background.
Added align R, G, B layer.
Separating stars and DSO.
Separating stars and DSO, alternative.
Correct image for Vignetting.

Other astronomy tutorials:

April 3, 2020 Astronomy: Tutorial

• I have updated my macros to AstroImageJ, now they support export of Fits files. Not tested fully:

  astronomy/ tutorials/ tutorial-astroimagej/ tutorial-aij-01-introduction.html
  (How to use Gimp for editing astrophotos)

Update:
Fits file support.

Other astronomy tutorials:

April 3, 2020 Astronomy, project

• Get higher resolution from the images with Drizzle or Super resolution:

  astronomy/ projects/ project-get-higher-resolution/ 01-get-higher-resolution.html
  (Get higher resolution)

Other astronomy projects:

Mars 20, 2020 Astronomy, photography

The Globular Cluster M53:

• astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ globular-clusters/ m53/ m53-globular-cluster.html
  (Messier 53, Globular Cluster, 2020)

Other Globular clusters:

See also galaxy clusters Leo Triplet, Leo I group and the galaxy M87:

Mars 20, 2020 Astronomi, min nattbok

• Fantastiska tider, det är en klar natt igen. Ut med telekopet på balkongen, trimmar in justering och fokus. Denna natt tar jag bilder i riktningen söderut. Passar också på att berätta lite om ett av de nya projektet som går framåt och nu är i det stadiet jag kan testköra:

  .. lars-karlsson-night-balcony-work-20200320-se.html
  (Min nattbok om mina vedermödor ute i kylan)

Andra astronomi historier:

Mars 14, 2020 Astronomy, photography

One of the most beautiful objects on the sky is the planetary nebula M57, here is my photo of it:

• astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ planetary-nebulas/ m57/ m57-planetary-nebula.html
  (Messier 57, 2020)

Other Planetary nebulas:

11 mars, 2019 Historia, Slussen

• Idag händee något spännande, Guldbron leveras från Kina till Stockholm med ett mycket underligt fartyg:

  history/ sverige stockholm slussen/ sverige stockholm slussen 20200311.html
  (Guldbron anländer till Stockholm, 2020)

Other history related:

February 23, 2020 Astronomy: Tutorial

• The last month has been intensive. I have updated my macros which I use in AstroImageJ to be more user friendly. Now there is menus, you don't have to write the parameters direct into the text in the macro. I also have added more functions:

  astronomy/ tutorials/ tutorial-astroimagej/ tutorial-aij-01-introduction.html
  (How to rotate raw-files)

I have added a function to stack aligned images.

Other astronomy tutorials:

February 210, 2020 Travel

• Once again we travel to the Canary Islands, this time the island Lanzarote:

  travel/ europe/ spain-lanzarote-2020/ 01-puerto-del-carmen.html
  (Lanzarote, Spain 2020)

Other travels in Europe:

February 13, 2020 Astronomy, photography

First time I use my 5 Inch APO refractor to take a photo of the Moon:

• astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ solar-system/ moon/ moon-2020-ts130/ moon-telescopets-2020.html
  (Moon 2020)

Other Solar system objects (very uggly):

January 13, 2020 Astronomy, calculation

• Calculate the minimum diameter of your filter without causing vignetting. Even the minimum distance off-axis adapter prism to optical axis:

  astronomy/ astronomy-calculations/ minimum-vignetting/ minimize-vignetting.html
  (Minimize vignetting calculator)

Other astronomy calculations:

January 10, 2020 Astronomy: Tutorial

• If you by mistake let the camera's auto rotation be enabled it cause you problem when doing astrophotography:

  astronomy/ tutorials/ tutorial-rotate-raw-files/ tutorial-rotate-raw-files.html
  (How to rotate raw-files)

Have you ever got the experience that your raw astrophotos are in portrait orientation and your software needs them to be in landscape orientation ? This tutorial is about a fix to that problem.

Other astronomy tutorials:

January 2, 2020 Astronomy

• With no dark nights during the summer it's time to do some work on the equipment. My old EQ6 mount needs some, I disassembling the mount and rebuilt it partly:

  astronomy/ projects/ project-eq6-dismantling-rebuilding/ 17-eq6-dismantling-rebuilding.html
  (EQ6 mount rebuilt)

  Update:
  After 3 months of bad weather I now had a clear sky. I could do more test of my rebuilt EQ6 mount and got good results. Look at the page 18 !

Other astronomy projects:

January 1, 2020 Astronomy

• What is it with our weather ? Clouds and rain every night. The motivation for all amateur astronomers go deep in the ground.

  The last days I have spent on the Gaia space satellite. It's a astrometry observatory with extremely high precision. Could it be used to do something interesting ? I have collected some information here and a simple test by me to start with:

  astronomy/ science-data/ science-data-gaia.html
  (Gaia data archive)

  You can use it as a tutorial how to use the Gaia data.

  Update:
  New calculations of histogram over the positions of nearby stars.

Other astronomy science data archives:

December 12, 2019 Astronomy, calculation

• Try my calculator based on Frank Drake's Equation:

  How many intelligent civilizations are out there in Milky Way ?

  astronomy/ astronomy-calculations/ drakes-equation/ drakes-equation.html
  (Frank Drake's Equation calculator)

Other astronomy calculations:

November 23, 2019 Travel

• 14 years ago it was an exiting day, I had read about a steam train. This day it will start from where I lived at that time and go to Katrineholm. Wonderful !

  travel/ sweden/ katrineholm-steam-train-2005/ 01-katrineholm-steam-train.html
  (Steam train from Stockholm to Katrineholm, 2005)

Other travels in Sweden:

November 8, 2019 Astronomy / seminar

• Seminars "The ALMA Fornax Cluster Survey" by Nikki Zabel.

  How does the galaxy cluster environment affect molecular gas and star formation? 2019
  (Institution of Astronomy, Stockholm's University)

Other speech, seminar and articles:

July 3, 2019 Travel, walks with old and new photos

• One old idea I have is to take old photos and then take new ones from the same place and compare. I have started with the island Riddarholmen in Stockholm. The old photography is from the 19th century. Much more complicated then I first thought, it will take long time, here is the beginning of the work:

  travel/ sweden/ old-and-new-photographs/ introduction-old-and-new-photographs.html
  (Old and new photography from Stockholm)

Other things about Swedish history:

June 7, 2019 Boats / Monalisa

• Big news! The anchor that belonged to Monalisa:

  vehicles/ everts-cruiser-monalisa/ everts-cruiser-monalisa-03.html
  (Photos of the anchor)

Other ships and boats:

May 19, 2019 Sound / Image

• Biograf (Cinema) Sländan Museum:

  sound-image/ cinema-slandan-museum/ cinema-slandan-museum.html
  (Biograf Sländan Museum)
• We had a visit to a camera flee market today, we was a bit early and found this when we waiting, a cinema machine museum.

Other things about sound and cinema:

27 januari, 2019

Nya kartor över fornlämningar: Fornhistoria

• Kartor för fornfynd, det är för dig som gillar att vara ute i naturen och leta efter vår spännande historia.

• Här finner du de nya kartorna:

  history/ sverige-fornlamningar-kartor/ fornlamningar-kartor-sv.html
  (Fornlämningskartor, Sverige)

Other history related in Sweden:

All other news: News.

New links:

Here I have collected new links that I found interesting.

Technology, Astronomy, Cars, Travels etc.

September 29, 2019 Astronomy

• New links about telescope mounts:

  links/ links-astronomy-mount.html
  (Information about mounts)

DIY and tweaks.

August 20, 2019 Physics

• 3D printing links:

  links/ links-astronomy-3d-printing.html
  (3D printing info files)

3D printing can be useful in astronomy, I have collected some links with info and 3D drawings.

August 20, 2019 Physics

• Funny Physics related to Gravity:

  links/ links-others.html #funny-physhics-gravity
  (Funny Physics, link collection from Youtube)

I think you will find it interesting too (but don't believe everything).

April 18, 2019 Travel and Astronomy

Astro-tourism, a growing tourist travel area.

• Astro Tourism:

  links/ links-astronomy-astrotourism.html
  (Astro Tourism, link collection)

I have primarily chosen places that I can reach from Sweden within 6 hours by air. Most of them are in Spain.

You find above links later on the link page:

• Links

Must do stuff:

Technology, Astronomy, Cars, Travels etc.

(look carefully that it has not been canceled or has a changed date)

May, 2020 Astronomy

• Comet C/2020 F3 Neowise visit us:

  http://www.aerith.net/comet/ catalog/2020F3/ 2020F3.html
  (C/2020 F3 Neowise, Seiichi Yoshida)

• Comet ATLAS: Will it Become a Naked-Eye Object? Yes we got to see ot from our living room, first night it had a magnitude of 1.5. There where two nights with enough clear sky for us to catch some photos.

  astronomy/astronomy-photo/comets/ neowise-c2020-f3/ neowise-c2020-f3.html
  (C/2020 F3 Neowise, photo from our balcony)

May, 2020 Astronomy

• Comet C/2020 F8 Swan visit us:

  http://www.aerith.net/comet/ catalog/ 2020F8/ 2020F8.html
  (C/2020 F8 Swan, Seiichi Yoshida)

• Comet ATLAS: Will it Become a Naked-Eye Object?

  It could be as bright as magnitude 3.5.

Föredrag: (Stockholm, Sverige)

This is only for you who live in Stockholm, Sweden or want to travel and make a visit here.

De flesta av de här föredragen hålls i Stockholm. Vanligtvis är de på svenska men ibland på engelska. Läs noga på deras hemsida så att det inte blivit inställt eller flyttat.

Området är naturvetenskap.

2020 Visning / Föredrag

• Celebrating 30 Years:
  The Universe Through Hubble's Eye:

  https://skyandtelescope.org/ astronomy-news/ universe-through-hubbles-eye/
  (The Universe Through Hubble's Eye, Sky and Telescope)

9 december 2019 till 5 januari 2020 Utställning (Stängd nu)

För er som gillar gamla båtar.
På Lidingö Stadsmuseum kommer under december till januari pågå en utställning om Boghammar Marin. Mina minnen från min pappas berättelser är att han hade hört från den tidigare ägaren av hans Petterssonbåt Monalisa att den var byggd på Lidingö. Mina efterforskningar om Monalisa leder till varvet Gustafsson & Andersson på Lidingö som idag heter Boghammar:

• https://www.upplev lidingo.com/ sv/ 290727/ Utstallning-Boghammar-Marin/
  (Utstallning Boghammar Marin, Upplev Lidingö)
• https://www.lidingo nyheter.se/ boghammar i stadshuset/
  (Boghammar i stadshuset, Lidingö Nyheter)
• everts-cruiser-monalisa/ pdf/ boghammar-flyer.pdf
  (Boghammar Marin – en varvsepok över 100 år, PDF-fil)

Se även min berättlase om min fars Pettersson kryssare Monalisa.

2020 Visning / Föredrag

• Visningar av Alba Nova teleskopet:

  http://www.astro.su.se/ om-oss/ evenemang/ teleskopvisningar
  (Alba Nova teleskopet, Stockholms universitet)

Advertisement / Annons: