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November 28, 2023

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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.

Welcome to my home !

Astrofriend's homepage

Since 2002


Highlights!

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

Contents:


News:

Here I have collected news I found interesting.

Technology, Astronomy, Cars, Travels etc.


November 28, 2023 Astronomy: Astronomy Project

Update:
Dew heater an lens cover, page 8
Triple DC/DC tests, page 6
Power splitter, page 7
Triple DC/DC converter, page 6
Brackets, page 4-5
Design of two stands, page 3
New power cables, page 2

Other astronomy projects:

TS130 upgrade, APO 910 mm f/7 refractor

November 27, 2023 Travel Europe

Update:
Castello to Peniscola online
Sagunto to Castello online
Valencia to Sagunto online
Valencia online
Denia to Valencia online
Benidorm to Denia online
Alicante to Benidorm online
3 first days in Alicante online

Other travels in Europe:

Alicante, Spain, 2010

29 oktober, 2023 Sweden 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:
Ny information om elektrikern Sven Eklund som omkommer då M/S Canton torpederas år 1939, sida 11.

Other history related:

My father's adventures at sea, 1937 - 1945

October 23, 2023 Astronomy: Astronomy Project

  • When I'm upgrading my TS130 APO refractor I also upgrade all devices around it. One of the devices is the guide camera, a ZWO ASI120mm USB2. Old today but still competitive as a guide camera. Found one big problem with it, it didn't work with Linux. Here I do an upgrade to make it work:

    astronomy/ projects/ project-asi120mm-upgrade/ 01-project-asi120mm-upgrade.html
    (Project: ZWO ASI120mm upgrade)

Other astronomy projects:

ZWO ASI120mm USB2 upgrade for Linux

October 20, 2023 Astronomy: Astronomy Project

Update:
5 kg load test, page 10
Enclosure, page 9
Setup INDI for MyFocuserPro2, page 8
Start assembling the circuit board, page 7
Schematics, page 6
Setup the Arduino system, page 5
Prototype setup, page 4
Purchasing needed components, page 3

Other astronomy projects:

Stepper motor driver

October 19, 2023 Astronomy: Light pollution

Now they have done a test with this technology in Caucasus Mountains, link at bottom of above page.

Other astronomy projects:

Light pollution ahndle with synchronized camera shutter

October 17, 2023 Astronomy, nebula

From my balcony it's not so easy to get objects in view. But at this time f the year I can get a glimpse of the Carb Nebula. Observed already 1054 by Chinese astronomers when the star exploded:

The nebula M1, Crab Nebula:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ nebulas/ astronomy-photo-nebulas.html Other nebulas.

Crab Nebula M1, 2023 Sweden

October 12, 2023 Astronomy, Planetary nebula

One forgotten planetary nebula I found in my archive from 2016, Dumbbell Nebula, M27:

The Dumbbell Nebula, M27:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ planetary-nebulas/ astronomy-photo-planetary-nebulas.html Other planetary nebula photos.

Planetary nebula, Dumbbell Nebula, M27, 2016

October 11, 2023 Astronomy, nebula

To take a photo of a nebula from a Bortle class 9 environment is a challenge. California nebula has magnitude 6 and I gave it a try. There is possible to see it, that was more than I had hoped for:

The California nebula, NGC 1499:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ nebulas/ astronomy-photo-nebulas.html Other nebula photos.

California nebula, NGC 1499, 2023

October 10, 2023 Astronomy, open cluster

Open clusters are always easy to take photographs of even in hard light polluted environments. This open cluster was discovered for more than 300 years ago, Messier 34. Added side by side comparison between 1 hour and 2 hours exposure:

The open cluster M34:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ open-clusters/ astronomy-photo-open-clusters.html Other open clusters photos.

Open cluster M34, 2023 Sweden

October 1, 2023 Astronomy, photography

Some new test astrophotographys from the balcony:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ astronomy-photo-menu.html Other astro photos.

NGC 2403, 2023 Sweden

M31, 2023 Sweden

September 26, 2023 Astronomy: Project

  • Since two years I have used a Linux based control system for my astro equipment. In the Windows world it's ASCOM drivers you use, in Linux it's INDI drivers. The INDI EQMOD driver control SkyWatcher's mounts. It's an old driver and I have to fix one or two problems with it. It's written in C++. It was 27 years ago I did something with C++, so it's a big step for me, but now I must solve it:

    astronomy/ projects/ project-indi-drivers/ 01-project-indi-drivers.html
    (INDI EQMOD driver)

Updated information.

Other astronomy projects:

Projects: INDI drivers

September 24, 2023 Sweden Historia, Nya Slussen byggs upp

Andra saker om Sveriges historia:

Karl Johan Slussen i Stockholm

September 17, 2023 Astronomy, observatory sites

I got a new friend in the astronomy hobby, Michael. He has his own private observatory that I was invited to visit:

Michael's Torö observatory, Sweden:

Other observatory sites:

Michael's Torö observatory, Sweden 2023

September 4, 2023 Astronomy, comet

I'm started this astronomy season early, already in late august. It's not dark enough but good to get some practice. My first target is a small comet, 103P Hartley 2. It's just outside our balcony in Eastern direction:

The comet 103P Hartley 2:

Update:
Added magnified photos of the comet and the galaxy.

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ comets/ astronomy-photo-comets.html Other comet photos.

Comet 103P Hartley 2, 2023 Sweden

August 26, 2023 Astronomy: Project

  • Now it's the beginning of the astronomy season and all problem must be solved. Earlier in the spring I had big problem with the GPS sync of time and position. Especially when doing Polar alignment. It need the Raspberry's system clock to be set correctly direct, not just a offset how much wrong it's relative satellite clock. Now with the Chrony driver I got some better work of it. Have a look at this page:

    astronomy/ projects/ project-heq5/ 07-heq5.html
    (Setup GPSD in INDI)

Other astronomy projects:

Setup GOSD in INDI

August 18 20, 2023 Travel Europe

  • Late in the summer I got a cruise as a birthday gift, it take us to Finland and the city Turku or Åbo as we say in Sweden. I haven't been there since the 1970s so it will be exiting. Finland belonged to Sweden during 700 years, we lost it 1809 in a war:

    travel/ europe/ finland-turku-2023/ finland-turku.html
    (Turku in Finland, 2023)

Other travels in Europe:

Turku (Åbo) in Finland, 2023

23 juli, 2023 Sweden Historia, Brunnsviken

  • Nu börjar det närma sig slutet av juli, vi passar på att ta en cykeltur till Brunnsviken från där vi bor i Hagsätra. Det är en dryg mil att cykla in till city i Stockholm och nu skall vi lite längre till norra staden. Under cykelturen får vi se gamla minnen från vår egen uppväxttid och en hel del betydligt äldre historia.

    history/ hagsatra-brunnsviken/ 01-hagsatra-brunnsviken-sv.html
    (Cykeltur från Hagsätra till Brunnsviken i Solna med lite historia)

Andra saker om Sveriges historia:

Cykeltur till Brunnsviken, 2023

July 12, 2023 Car meetings

Other car meetings in Sweden:

Björnlunda car meeting, 2023

May 20, 2023 Travel Europe

Other travels in Europe:

Southern Germany plans, 2023

April 19, 2023 Astronomy: Tutorial

Update;
Meridian flip and stacking, page 7
Adjust the flat calibration with a fake bias, page 6
Dark calibration analyze, page 5
Calibration test, page 4
More details on page 2 and 3

Other astronomy tutorials:

Tutorial: Siril for pre processing astrophotography

15 april, 2023 Sweden Astronomi, Historier

Andra astronomihistorier:

En kvällstur till Björnö, 2023

April 16, 2023 Astronomy, galaxy

One more photo of the pair of galaxies M81 & M82. I'm in hurry now, not many dark nights left this season:

The galaxies M81 & M82:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ comets/ astronomy-photo-galaxies.html Other galaxy photos.

Galaxies M81 & M82, 2023 Sweden

April 12, 2023 Astronomy, nebula

Now it's very bright at nights, maybe the last deep sky object this season, the nebula NGC 7023:

The nebula NGC 7023, Iris Nebula:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ nebulas/ astronomy-photo-nebulas.html Other nebulas.

Nebula NGC 7023, 2023 Sweden

March 17, 2023 Astronomy, double star

Meet my three new friends up on the night sky:

Chi Draconis, Cor Caroli and Grumium are double stars:

Other double stars:

Chi Draconis spectroscopic double star, 2023 Sweden
Chi Draconis
Cor Caroli binary star, 2023 Sweden
Cor Caroli
Grumium binary star, 2023 Sweden
Grumium

March 12, 2023 Astronomy: Tutorial

Other astronomy tutorials:

Tutorial: Gimp for astrophotography

March 10, 2023 Astronomy, planetary nebula and global cluster

My Pentax 645 300 mm f/4 lens closing in to perfection. What happens when I try to photograph small planetary nebulas or small globular clusters ? Objects that's normally taken with at least three times longer focal lengths:

The planetary nebula M57:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ open-clusters/ astronomy-photo-planetary-nebulas.html Other planetary nebulas.

Planetary nebula M57, 2023 Sweden

March 9, 2023 Astronomy: Project

Other astronomy projects:

Pentax 645 300 mm f/4 ED lens

March 4, 2023 Astronomy, open cluster

This night wasn't good enough weather to take the car out to a dark place. I did this observation from our balcony instead. When astrophotographing from the balcony it's easier if the objects bright, stars are easier than deep sky object. I found that I had the open cluster NGC 6939 coming up from North:

The open cluster NGC 6939:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ open-clusters/ astronomy-photo-open-clusters.html Other open clusters photos.

Open cluster NGC 6939, 2023 Sweden

February 28, 2023 Cars, Chrysler Crossfire radio:

Other DIY repair tips for Chrysler Crossfire (Mercedes):

Chrysler Crossfire: Radio

February 27, 2023 Astronomy: Tutorial

My Canon 6D has always been very slow with download image files from the camera to the astroserver. This is more an investigating if there is someway to come around this. Asking at forums now and collecting information:

Other astronomy tutorials:

Tutorial: Canon slow data transfer

February 19, 2023 Astronomy, asteroid

At one night with clear night I found that I have an asteroid in the view from the balcony, Ceres. This was the first asteroid to be found and that already 1801. Today it belongs to the group Dwarf planets:

The asteroid Ceres:

astronomy/ astronomy-photo/ comets/ astronomy-photo-asteroids.html Other asteroid photos.

Dwarf planet Ceres, 2023 Sweden

February 7, 2023 Astronomy: Project

Other astronomy projects:

Projects: Battery bracket, HEQ5 mount

6 Februari, 2023 Sweden Astronomi, Historier

Andra astronomihistorier:

En kvällstur till Tyresta, 2023

January 29, 2023 Astronomy: Calculations

Other astronomy calculations:

Calculator: Angle conversion

January 24, 2023 Astronomy: Project

Other astronomy projects:

Projects: DIY/3D Flat calibrator

January 16, 2023 Astronomy: Tutorial

One of my first tutorials I wrote was about how to do a relative guiding on comets. It guide on a star and the computer calculate the offset speed between the star and the comet and correct for that. I have looked through the text and updated links and added more photos. The software has developed a lot but still the principle is the same:

Other astronomy tutorials:

Tutorial: Comet relative guiding

12 januari, 2023 Sweden

Mörka observationsplatser: Astronomi

Titta på dessa två videor tagna från England respektive Teneriffa.

England har ungefär samma klimat som vi har i Sverige, känner ni igen er ?

6 timmars flygresa och man har det så här. De här farbröderna har verkligen förstått hur man kan njuta av sin favorithobby.

Andra observationsplatser i Stockholm:

This:
Bad place
Or this:
Good place

December 19, 2022 Astronomy, double star

From our balcony with a very narrow view there are not many objects to choose from. This night I took photos of Messier 40. An optical double star:

M40 an optical double star:

Other double stars:

M40 an optical double star, Sweden

December 7, 2022 Astronomy, solar eclipse history

I have asked all my friends and relatives if someone have a memory from Sweden's last total solar eclipse 1954. I got an enormous response with lot of stories about this. I have collected them on a separate page and included some other information:

The Solar eclipse 1954 in Sweden:

Other astronomy articles:

Solar eclipse 1954 in Sweden

December 6, 2022 Astronomy: Events reports

Other astronomy events reports:

MAK, Mariestad Star Party, 2018

November 24, 2022 Astronomy: Project

  • I have the last twenty years thought about medium format cameras. Later years digital mirror less cameras are much cheaper and have CMOS sensors which make them better. Maybe I will stay with full frame, but now I try to design an off-axis adapter with two filter drawers, just to see if I can fit it in the limited space:

    astronomy/ projects/ project-medium-format-offaxis/ 01-project-medium-format-offaxis.html
    (Medium format off-axis adapter 3D CAD)

Other astronomy projects:

Projects: Medium format off-axis adapter 3D CAD

September 11, 2022 HIFI

  • At a car meeting I sat with my friends and got nostalgic. We talked about old HIFI and what we have had in earlier days. Here I have wrote it down:

    sound-image/ hifi-1970s-1980s/ 01-hifi.html
    (My HIFI in the 1970s to 1980s)

Other Sound and Image:

Sonab 2212

August 21, 2022 Boats / Monalisa

Other ships and boats:

Evert's mahogany cruiser Monalisa

29 juli, 2022 Sweden Historia, Stockholm

  • I Stockholm finns många spännande platser att undersöka. Ett av dom är Västra Stambanans gamla dragning mellan Liljeholmen och Södra Station på Södermalm. Den sträckan lades ned år 1929 då tågtrafiken flyttade till nya Årstabron.

    history/ vastra-stambanan/ 01-vastra-stambanan-sv.html
    (Västra Stambanan, Stockholm)

Andra saker om Sveriges historia:

Västra Stambanan,i Stockholm

6 juli, 2022 Sweden Historia, Galgbackar

Andra saker om Sveriges historia:

Avrättning och galgplatser i Stockholm

June 2, 2022 Travel Sweden

Other travels in Sweden:

From Stockholm City to Nynäshamn by steam train, from 2005 to 2009den 2021

30 april, 2022 Sweden Nöjen i Stockholm

Takpubar och restauranger:

  • Nu till årets sommar kan vi nästan koppla av från Covidbekymren. Vi vågar gå ut igen och träffa folk med viss försiktighet. Sommarens projekt blir att besöka några av Stockholms takpubar och restauranger. De har blivit väldigt populära på senare år. Här har jag listat de mer kända och gjort en karta så ni hittar dit:

    pleasure/ takpubar/ takpubar.html
    (Listor och kartor över takpubar och restauranger i Stockholm)

Andra nöjen: Nöjen i Stockholm

TAK, takpub i Stockholm

28 mars, 2022 Sweden

Mörka observationsplatser: Astronomi

Andra observationsplatser i Stockholm:

All other news: News.

Observationsplats Örudden på Torö

October, 2022 Astronomy, Impact structures (meteorite craters)

In Mars 2022 I passed close to the lake Västra Styran. I know I have read about it somewhere that it's maybe an old meteorite crater:

It's no 10 on the map.

other meteorite craters:

Meteorite craters, Västra Styran Sweden, 2022

Mars 17, 2022 Astronomy: Project

  • Recently I bought a HEQ5 mount. My idea is to use that mount when travel by my car. Much less weight compare to my EQ6 mount. When I'm using my 300 mm lens I don't need the stability of the EQ6, and the HEQ5 mount has about the same precision. Problems solve: the serial cable, the EQDIRECT has not the same connector and not so good power connector:

    astronomy/ projects/ project-heq5/ 01-heq5.html
    (Project: HEQ5)

Other astronomy projects:

Projects: HEQ5 as a portable mount

January 29, 2022 Astronomy: Project

Other astronomy projects:

Raspberry Pi4 as an astroserver

January 16, 2022 Astronomy, Seven stars in Big Dipper, part of constellation Great Bear

Tonight I have problem which object on the heaven I wanted to take photo of. Then I saw that I had the constellation Great Bear outside the window. Why not take photos of the seven stars that built the Big Dipper which is a part of the Great Bear ? Afterwards I can analyze the images and see what's more there, sounds a bit exiting to me:

Other stars:

Seven stars in constellation Big Dipper, credit CdC

January 5, 2022 Astronomy tutorial: Ekos Sequencer

  • Included in the KStars is the Ekos. Ekos control the devices in your astroequipment. Included in this is a sequencer, a tool where you can hold your evening objects and the sequencer pick them up one by one in the most useful order. This is something new to me and all these advanced function is operated by the tiny Raspberry processor:

    astronomy/ tutorials/ tutorial-ekos-sequencer/01-tutorial-ekos-sequencer
    (Ekos Sequencer)

Other astronomy tutorials:

Ekos sequencer

January 11, 2022 Astronomy: Lens data base

Other astronomy tutorials:

Data base: Lenses with focus motor that works for astrophotolens

September 1, 2021 Bilskrotar kartor:

  • För dig med gammal klassisk bil, när reservdelarna inte finns att köpa nya längre så blir man hänvisad till bilskrotarna. Jag har kompletterat mina tidigare listor med kartor för att lättare finna dom:

    vehicles/ bilskrotar/ bilskrotar-sverige.html
    (Bilskrotar Sverige)

Övrigt skrotbilar:

Bilskrotar

April 15, 2021 Astronomy: Project

Other astronomy projects:

Lars B's projects

Mars 23, 2021 Astronomy

prof Gösta Gahm

Gösta Gahm, 1942 - 2020 professor emeritus of astronomy

I, prof Gösta and Peter at the Sweden Solar system presentation, Gunilla is the photographer.

Something very sad has happen, in January 2021 I got the information that Gösta had passed away. We had known each other for more than 25 years, both I and Gunilla had him as a teacher in more than one courses we took in astronomy from 1995 to 2002 and we kept the contact since then. This meeting with the Jupiter model was the last time we saw him and at Christmas I got a greeting from him, since then nothing. Goodbye Gösta, we hope you have a great time up among the stars !

Gösta has one asteroid named after him: 10997 Gahm.

Lars and Gunilla

Other astronomy events reports:

29 januari, 2021 Sweden Resor till sjöss

Nyheter om det år 1940 förlista fartyget S/S Sylvia:

Other history related:

Fartyget S/S Sylvia

January 9, 2021 3D CAD

Other 3D Printer and CAD projects:

3D CAD: making drawings for GT2 pulleyes to lens focuserder

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:

Other meteor showers:

Perseids meteor shower, 2020

29 juli, 2020 Sweden

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)

Andra båtar i full skala:

Modellbåten Flamingo från Wentzels

April 30, 2020 Home Theatre

Other Sound and Image:

Home Theatre resurrection, 2019

November 8, 2019 Astronomy / seminar

Other speech, seminar and articles:

Seminar: How does the galaxy cluster environment affect molecular gas and starformation ? by Nikki Zabel

May 19, 2019 Sound / Image

Other things about sound and cinema:

Biograf (Cinema) Sländan Museum, 2019

27 januari, 2019 Sweden

Nya kartor över fornlämningar: Fornhistoria

Other history related in Sweden:

All other news: News.

Gånggrift Hallarör i Västergötland
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Must do stuff:

Technology, Astronomy, Cars, Travels etc.

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

August 29, 2023 Astronomy

Comet C/2023 P1 Nishimura, very bright, mag 2.1 but very close to horizon, at September 16 only 5 degrees above.

Seiichi Yoshida's home page

April 10, 2023 Resor Sweden

Utflykter i Sverige, mest Stockholm.

Other things in Stockholm:

Andra nöjen i Stockholm

Motala Ström, Norrköping

March 18, 2023 Astronomy

Comet C/2023 A3 C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, something to look for, October, 2024.

Maybe a really bright naked eye comet:

Seiichi Yoshida's home page
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Föredrag: (Stockholm, Sverige) Sweden

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.

2022 Visning / Föredrag

Albanova
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