Ways to track/review personal progress of observing?

[Deisler]

Good evening,

My 200P will be arriving on Monday and, like anything else, I like to plan what I do (a bit OCD I know...). 

I am completely new to this hobby but eager to learn. So far I have read a couple of books and used a good few weeks searching tutorials and playing with Stellarium, despite not having any practical sessions yet....

I wonder if you guys have any advice about ways to help track and review progress of my stargazing sessions and observing in general? I have read the 'planning your sessions' post https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/230054-planning-your-sessions/ , so I understand the use of charts and writing session reports as well as the importance of session planning. 

I feel I would have much more fun, if I keep a good record of what I do from the very beginning and it may also help me review my progress.

 

Specifically,

1) Any tips on what exactly I should draw on charts and include in the reports, that will later help me review my progress? 

2) Any other things I should do to help keep record of my sessions? or things in general that make the sessions more productive (in addition to session planning and writing reports that I have mentioned above)

 

Cheers

Deisler

[Jiggy 67]

You will find plenty of A4 size observing records on the internet. I use SkySafari 6 and skylive which is a subscription service by SkySafari. I can create a plan for the evening viewing on my laptop ( I also use Stellarium as it’s more user friendly than Skylive) which then appears on the app on my phone to use next to the scope. I follow the plan on the app and make notes on A4 printed obs records including sketches. The next day, I update SkySafari with all the previous nights obs which is obviously saved. You can also download lists, such as MEssier MArathon to tick off as you go along. It’s a really good app, and if you don,t want to pay there are free versions but with less applications 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Jiggy 67

[Paul M]

I haven't kept an observing log since I was a boy in the 70's. I know there are some computer based packages to help with planning and recording observations but I think a lined note book is just great. You can write or sketch what you like on the night. 

I still have my old log book. It's a treasure. Fond memories of discovering the universe. Simple sketches of sunspots, clusters and planets is all I did. I laugh at my writing, which was rather poor back then but the content is priceless and robust. It won't be lost by a hard drive crash or forgetting my log in details etc.

Keeping it simple makes it less of a chore.

Inspired by many of SGL's brilliant observers, I'm determined to get back to sketching at the eyepiece.  

[Rob Sellent]

Congratulations on the scope, Deisler I think you've chosen one of the finest scientific instruments open to all on the market. In particular the 8" Dob is an excellent all-rounder that will surrender wonderful views and require little in the way of maintenance. I sincerely wish you many happy years with your 8-inch Newtonian.

Observing the night sky with a telescope can often mean listening to songs of subtle melodies and muted sounds, of faint whisperings muffled by light years. In a peculiar way, almost paradoxical to our everyday existence, visual astronomy is about training the eye to see some of the largest and brightest things in existence, not because they're so large and bright but because they're so dim and so far away. We need to tune the eye to those tenuous murmurings of nature and help the eye see in almost complete darkness.

The poet Ted Hughes asked himself about the purpose of his writing. He answered, "It's about trying to take fuller possession of the reality of your life." By like manner, we could ask ourselves, "what is the purpose of visual astronomy?" And we could paraphrase Hughes and answer, "It's about trying to take fuller possession of the reality I see." To my understanding in visual astronomy there is one essential feature to this possession taking: observing. To this degree, I think that if you want to progress visually in this hobby and if you want to witness a very real progression, every so often you need to get down to details and give yourself some time to observe.

Observing is not just looking at something. Observing requires active engagement with what is being observed. It is a style of concentrated looking, of picking out features and textures, of training the eye to see more. It is about purposeful practice. It has been said many times but anything glanced at will always look like a featureless something or other, so the trick is to go beyond this style of looking and practice picking out features and textures.

A useful method for observing is to ask questions about the object being observed: what is there? what do I know about it? what does it look like? what shape does it have? where does it sit in relation to the other objects in the eyepiece? If observers wanted to go a step further they could write about what they see, or talk into a recorder about what they see, or sketch what they see and it makes no difference what method they choose, so long as the objective of such practice is to strengthen their stargazing eye, their observational skills.

Clearly, there is no right or wrong way to plan or record your sessions and the observing procedure just mentioned is certainly not one I'd recommend for every session. For starters, it can be exhausting. It can also be very boring if we want to get on with things and see more objects in our session. Another problem is that engaging with what we observe can and does slow us down, so it may appear we're not being that productive.

Nevertheless, I do feel that from time to time it is important. With practice, depending on the complexity of the object, such an interrogation shouldn't take too long. The questioning process, for example, can be done quite quickly, writing or sketching will take longer and can be tiring, so I usually dedicate it to one, maybe two objects at most and certainly not on every session. It is also extremely important to have sessions where you just sit back and drink in the beauty around you without thought or mind, or to plan other projects which don't involve such intensity.

If you’re keeping a log book, it might be worth including detail such as:

• Object 
• Date
• Location
• Observing Conditions (seeing, transparency, temperature, wind etc)
• Moon Status (rise, setting time, phase)
• Telescope used (focal ratio and aperture)
• Eyepiece used (magnification, field of view)
• Filters used
• Description/sketch of the object

Whatever the tools or techniques used, when sketching or writing be sure to use a dim red light and try to be as comfortable as possible. A seat can add a virtual inch or more to aperture. I certainly don't record every session, nor sketch or observe. So, above all, whatever you decide, just as @Paul M says keep it simple, keep it fun and don't make it a chore

Edited November 10, 2019 by Rob Sellent

[Nyctimene]

11 hours ago, Rob Sellent said:

So, above all, whatever you decide, just as @Paul M says keep it simple, keep it fun and don't make it a chore

+1 for that. Enjoy your scope, try to find the balance between planned and spontaneous observing. You want to relax and admire the celestial views, so consider your stargazing more as a kind of meditation, and not another variety of work. Don't feel obliged to take notes or to post reports on here.

Stephan

[scarp15]

Keep it simple, as others have also said, in a diary, log book or in your head. Perhaps the most fascinating part, is the post session period, when research, investigating, requiring a bit of detective work relating to aspects that you had discovered and encountered becomes meaningful. Gradually you may start to compile your own references into a book format. It is useful to consider and prepare a list of objectives, yet to enable flexibility and variation depending on how the session may work out, over structuring is never a good plan. Continually learning and discovering is simply endless, take a subject such as the moon, something different to encounter, scrutinise and clarify each time. Perhaps to, consider what to observe from home and what subjects to go and explore from trips to dark sky locations. In due course, posting reports on here is also a good measure of accounting for your evolving journey into this.

[Deisler]

Thank you guys so much for your replies. Very informative and a lot of great advice there!

I have downloaded a observation log in pdf from www and will start using it - I plan to start from all constellations first, and for them I also downloaded charts for each of them. So will be fun!

200P arriving on Monday and ClearOutside shows Tuesday night is perfect for observing. Can't wait!

Cheers

Deisler

[joe aguiar]

I just use my planisphere dial to hour I'll start see what constellations are in good viewing. Then get my book out to that constellations and write 4 to 8 best things.

By then the constellations may move in sky I go to another 2 to 3 constellations and mark another 4 to 8 objects to look.

That probably enough for the night.

On my next viewing I pick out 4 to 8 new things to view in each one.

I have a book that I log time date year what scope I used, sky conditions, ep I used what powers filters and what object I looked at. So I can go back later if I want.

Joejaguar 

Edited November 12, 2019 by joe aguiar

[Raph-in-the-sky]

On 10/11/2019 at 22:26, Deisler said:

I have downloaded a observation log in pdf from www and will start using it - I plan to start from all constellations first, and for them I also downloaded charts for each of them. So will be fun!

I'm also quite new to this hobby. I found a good way to, at the same time, have fun and learn my way around. I started with the constellation Cygnus and found a few nice objects to look at it that constelation (yay, enjoyment). Then I would try to find something close to Cygnus like the ring nebula (now I now what Lyra looks like) then a bit further, say M13 in Hercules... and so on until I have a complete mental map of all northern constellations.