Star Log

[AbeSapien]

Hello fellow gazers

 

I want to share a little project of mine I started a few days ago.

Last week I opened another thread regarding a new EP which I ordered and @YKSE commented on it (again thank you for that! ). I saw his awesome signature and blandly copied it into my signature thinking to myself that I as of now had a Mission... a Mission to see and log all those beautiful clusters, nebulas and galaxies! As a well known sitcom actor would say... "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!"

 

Then I ran into a few problems... first of all... where the hell would I find all the information I would need and secondly, the more pressing problem, how would I keep track of this huge amount of everything?! I really don't know how YKSE is doing it, or even others, but I thought to myself that a good ol' classic excel table would do the trick. I promptly started to gather the four catalogues in question, copied them into an excel tabel an HEY! there are MANY dublicates... Filtering them out isn't that easy since the information I found isn't completely to the point I would need it to be. So after a few days of manual crunching NGC numbers, here the actual result.

 

The list includes a general number of the whole list, NGC / other number, the four catalogues, common name, type, distance, constellation, apparent magnitude and a "best to observe"-tab.

To make things a little easier I included the NGC / other number to almost completely eliminate the duplicates. I also included a "best to observe"-tab to simply filter the catalogues by months. This way I can grab the list, filter it and promptly see what I could potentially see and what not. And the most important thing of all? A small cell where I can put an "x" if I've seen whatever I wanted to see. This goes allong with a date and location tab to round everything up.

 

In some separate sheets I created a General Overview, the four separate catalogues and a Constellation sheet where I'll put some valuable information.

The General Overview will be a sheet holding the logs information. For example I can immediately check how many objects I've seen of the Messier Objects or the Collinder Catalog and so on. I'll display a simple number like 56 / 110 Messier Objects and include a percentage diagram. To make things a little funnier I'll also add a general counter for the four catalogues, hence the previously mentioned general number of the whole list. After the list is complete I could se myself linking every entry to an online catalogue with more information and pictures for further research.

 

If someone wants this list I'll gladly share it

 

Have a great evening everyone,

Abe

 

[Trikeflyer]

This is an awesome tool. Well done Abe. I want you list if you are willing to share it.

[wookie1965]

Me too saves me going backwards and forwards to different books, will make planning sessions easier.

[Stargazer McCabe]

Although I use Sky Tools and Sky Safari to record my observations, i’d be interested in having a look too. Top effort by the sound of it...

[Moonshane]

I'd appreciate a copy too please.  Great work.

☺

[festoon]

Hi Abe,

I'd also be very happy if you also please share this with me Many thanks

[AbeSapien]

Hello everyone

 

Okay, as soon as I've finished the Star Log, I'll share it with you here. Does anyone know how to share a Google Sheet as a file? Is that even possible? If not I'll copy the stuff in a normal Excel sheet

[AbeSapien]

I think I'm done filtering the catalogues... I'll re-check everything a second time just to be sure 873 combined entries should be enough to keep us busy for a while I think... 

 

Next up: filling in the basic missing details. The Collinder Catalogue should be the most time-consuming one... But hey, weather is bad!

[AbeSapien]

I had very little time to work on the list the past few days but here's an update:

• the first cell of the observed object turns green as soon as you fill out the "Observing Date" field
• in General Overview the Star Log effectively counts the observed objects
• the Messier and Caldwell Catalogue are almost complete

 

Things that I'll do as soon as I get to it:

• Counter for the different catalogues in the General Overview
• The what's on this / next month section (essentially a field where the sheet will tell you which constellations are to observe)
• further details to be filled in in the different catalogues (Collinder IS the most frustrating! ^^)

Happy Holidays to everyone