How do you document your gazing sessions?

[cotterless45]

Certainly better to be a lingering tourist than a visitor. I am quite amazed at the number who keep no records at all. I love looking back at previous observations and showing others such observations of Jupiter with one storm belt.

I try to encourage others to keep a record, it adds to the interest,

Nick.

[Grogfish]

I log my observing on OneNote on my phone as it makes it really easy to search for a particular object (eg have I looked for IC342 before? What did I make of it?), and the notes are then instantly on my computer too.

Of course, I can't sketch this way... But art probably isn't it a strong point of mine! Full credit to those that can.

[Night Hawk]

I just printed off a messier list off the interent that was in order of magnitude. This helps me with finding the eaiser messiers to spot. I just then I just date and tick it off the list.

[LittleSkink]

I just printed off a messier list off the interent that was in order of magnitude. This helps me with finding the eaiser messiers to spot. I just then I just date and tick it off the list.

sounds interesting, could you share a link?

[Night Hawk]

sounds interesting, could you share a link?

Here's the link  http://messier.seds.org/dataMag.html

[goose35]

I log each session in an A4 pad. Last time out i also had a dabble in sketching on a pdf template off tinternet

I just not what i looked at, image run info and highs and lows of the night

[quimby44]

thanks guys and thanks for all the replies i think i will start doing a log off everything i see even if its just in a note book for future reference cheers stephen

[jnb]

I use a hardback notebook and generally note weather conditions, time, target and scope.

In addition to that depending on whether I am working visually or trying AP I make a sketch and notes of what I think I see or note exposure, ISO, camera.

Not very sophisticated but it serves for now.

[mikeDnight]

I've always recorded my observations in both written form and as sketches, and now have 35years of what to most people would seem pointless drivel.

I make notes on everything, from wild life noises to obscene things I've knelt in during field trips.

Coupled with sketches, I can pretty much recall every night at the telescope over the years just by looking through my notes.

As well as becoming keen eyed due to regular sketching, I've learned that cattle and sheep cough like humans, which is quite unnerving when you're stood in a field or on the moors in the dark. Curlews really don't care for astronomers within a quarter mile of their nests. And to always check the ground is clear of lovers leftovers if I decide to observe from a country lane pull in.

Mike :-)

[christhebrit]

Seeing many logs on here with impressive detail makes me think I should do more.

I have a checklist I go through. (No scetches)

Date

Sky clarity estimate, temperature, moon state

Object viewed, how much detail observed, any note particular, which eyepieces used. (For each object)

Photos, what setup and how long

Every now and then I have an items bought/ items sold page.

The log itself itself is a small A6 book which I update when I get in and warm.

Chris

[mdstuart]

I make a simple drawing to record the view and then log the observation in a simple access database I developed...

Mark

[mjpfc]

I use A4 Day to page diaries for my Log books.  And I have them going back 16 years to some smaller notebooks.

This has left me with a bookshelf of my Observing History.

I have a LUNA 100 / MESSIER List each year and also lists of  Every object I have seen before, with the year.

Each diary also has that years obs by month.

If I need to look up an old observation I just pick up the log/Diary for that year which will then give me the month

on which I observed it. Not hard then to zero-in on the actual observatio.

Obs tend to be a quick sketch, a description of the object through the eyepiece,  The seeing, Scope and Lenses/filters.

I would not say I was an anorak, but I do have several similar type coats.

Mick.

[John]

I occasionally post a report on here of an observing session but other than that I've not really recorded much over the 30+ years I've been in the hobby. I've very recently (this year) started to keep a list of the deep sky objects I've spotted because I've had a couple of very rewarding sessions this year which have covered 100+ objects between them so I thought I'd try and keep track for a change.

[faulksy]

i document everything i have seen in my head. but i have no idea what i have seen

[toilandtrouble123]

Never thought of keeping a log, funny, cos I do for other stuff personal to me.  Thanks for sharing and discussing this, its given me a few ideas xx

[Astro Imp]

i document everything i have seen in my head. but i have no idea what i have seen

That had me spluttering in my coffee, nice one 

[ejp]

Wow, I should start documenting. That must be fun and handy. Also, it will probably be nice to draw what others can see if I want to show them something through the scope.
Thanks for another good idea on SGL.  

[morgoth924]

In Belgium, deepskylog is very popular. Been a while since I logged any observations, keep them all in my head, mostly.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I used to sketch a bit, but now I just keep a journal. I later enter all observed objects into a spreadsheet.

[Piero]

After creating a small program for translating tab separated value (tsv) files into latex into PDF (using pdflatex), I use this for generating my reports.

You can see latest journal in the link provided with my signature.

The nice thing is that it is all versioned too, so no risk to lose anything, and full trace of each modify.

[spaceboy]

I have been stargazing for several years now and I have only just started making any kind of note to what I observe. I have made attempts in the past to document in more detail what I look at but found it to be too much fumbling around in the dark constantly blowing out my night vision trying to see what I'm writing. I have now just started to make some sort of notes again using a simple system of noting what I have seen ie messier, NGC, IC catalogue numbers and giving it a quick score out of 10 for overall enjoyment viewing it (disregarding seeing or transparency conditions) and either a 1/10 for ease of splitting in the case of doubles and 1/10 for ease of finding in the case of faint and fuzzies. A small jotter pad and one of those 3/4 size pens is all I use to make notes and this is then transferred much neater to a pad the next day. 

I think it is well worth jotting down something of some sort or other as you seem to take things in better when you have to make a note. For example I'd only have to put down M13, 10, 1 but in doing so I have confirmed I have seen that object, took time to take in the detail to decide where the object stood in way of visual gratification and in doing so if it is worth visiting again and finally noted if I personally found it was a pain to find so I can take that bit more time to remember it's location for next time.  

[Freedom2099]

I usually record voice notes to write them down later

[spaceboy]

I usually record voice notes to write them down later

As if the non astronomy type don't think we are crazy enough, standing out in the freezing cold getting damp with dew till the early hrs of the morning, you add apparently talking to oneself in to the mix  

[Night Hawk]

Some logging docs can be found here

http://www.astromax.org/aa02801.htm

http://www.astromax.org/pdf/a4-obsfm.pdf

http://www.astromax.org/pdf/a4-sketch.PDF

[mikeDnight]

A picture speaks a thousand words but I also use an observing diary. Several are shown top left along with a few sketch books. I have them for the last 35 years. Its easier to look at pictures than read notes. Once I've found the sketch I'm interested in I can then look up the diary log.

Mike