25 replies to this topic

[PRESTON]

Attached is an observing log I just made.
The large circle is for sketching your FOV, and the smaller circle is for the starting outline of a planet.

Go Here for the Hi-Rez image.

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[Gerry]

This is great, i'll be using this a lot. So, thank you Preston!

By the way, i got a very simple newbie question: How do you "measure" the Sky Condition? :o

[Don W]

Preston, your image exceeds the size limits for Cloudy Nights. Please make it smaller.

[desertstars]

Thanks! That makes it much easier to appreciate what you're sharing.

By the way, nice template.

[PRESTON]

It's been changed.

I've added a link to the High Resolution image on the first post of this thread, so anyone who like the log should click on the link and get the bigger one for printing.

[iceman]

Nice one Preston.

I made one also, as part of the IceInSpace Monthly Observing Challenge.

You can download it here: Observing Log Template (40k pdf)

And here's a preview:

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[Erix]

Preston and Mike...thank you!

Mike, I have a (silly) question. What is the Finder area for and how do you use that area?

[iceman]

It's to sketch what you see in the finder, mainly to help you find the object again next time

Thanks

[Erix]

See, I knew it was a silly question. Thanks Mike!

[desertstars]

We should encourage anyone who has done up such a template for themselves to post it here in the Beginner's forum. (In time, it will be as difficult to decide on which way to record observations as it is to decide on a telescope. )

[Jeremy Perez]

Tom, were you thinking to post those sketch/report form links here in Preston's thread, or in a new thread, or in the web-links sticky at the top of the forum?

[desertstars]

Actually, I had no specific ideas other than to encourage people to share the way they record observations. It's good fit for the beginner's forum. How to manage what's posted I'd have to leave for the moderators of this forum (I'm not a moderator here, so let's check with them and see what they think.)

[Tom L]

Here is a brief introduction to the Pickering Scale of seeing, from Sky & Telescope's website...

http://skyandtelesco...ticle_569_1.asp

[Starman1]

Here is a brief introduction to the Pickering Scale of seeing, from Sky & Telescope's website...

http://skyandtelesco...ticle_569_1.asp

And here's a site showing you how each number on the scale appears in the eyepiece: Pickering Scale Appearance

[Jeremy Perez]

Well, I hope I'm not muddying the waters by adding another version of note-taking and sketching here. (Thank you Preston for posting this thread!) I highly recommend taking notes, or sketching, or both, to anyone beginning to observe through the eyepiece. That whole process has really helped me to appreciate what I'm seeing, and to notice things I might otherwise have passed over.

Here is a link to pdf versions of the 2 forms I've been using for DSO and Lunar observations.

I really enjoy seeing what others are using to record their observations. Thanks for posting your forms, Preston and Mike.

[Matthew E]

I used Jeremy's forms all the time! they are great, glad to see the variety.

[jdickson]

Left handed versions!

[PRESTON]

I guess the main problem with these sheets is when you want to really get into sketching, you like to have a rougher heavier paper. Thats why I still mainly use a regular blank sketch pad for my sketches. I suppose you could buy single sheets of sketch paper and print off a number of templates directly on the sketch paper, and clip them to a clipboard. Now that would be the ultimate observing log!

[Jeremy Perez]

Preston, I've been struggling with exactly that issue. 20# Bond and even laser paper didn't work well for me when it came to sketching. I went and bought some heavier, bright white paper at an office supply store and I've been printing forms on that. I went for a paper that didn't have a completely slick finish, in hopes of being able to blend better. I'm still not 100% satisfied though. A local CN'er, Cildareth, has been producing excellently blended sketches on index cards. I was surprised to find that 110# Index paper does blend well. Problem is, my printer totally gags on it. I've contemplated cutting circles out of the heavy stock and gluing it onto the observation forms. That way the sketch would stay with the notes. I haven't tried it yet.

[Erix]

I know of at one excellent sketcher in the sketching forum that uses plain old photo copying paper. It amazes me every time...

[bicparker]

I use backs of napkins, tablecloths, traffic tickets, those pesky cards they stuff into magazines, the reverse side of junk mail offerings ("You have been pre-approved for debt-for-life..."), envelopes from lost greeting cards, old restaurant receipts, and old wine labels. The wine labels seem to work best.

Of course, I have wondered over the years how all of that stuff gets out to the observing site with me.

David M.

[Jeremy Perez]

Holy Thread Resurrections Robin!

I uploaded a couple more observing log templates tonight.

One is a naked-eye form...I've been using it for the AL Constellation program. It's pretty similar to the Lunar form I've been using, but with a few differences in the notes section.

The other is a condensed observation form with 5 sketch/note sections per sheet. For me, it seemed to fit the bill for the AL Binocular Messier and Double-Star programs where smaller sketch and note allotments seemed to work just fine.

I've been tinkering with my planetary forms, but I'm not satisfied that I've got a good solution yet.

[Matthew E]

wow you have done it again!!! Thanks for sharing.

[Ron B[ee]]

Here's the form I used for small telescope on Mars. When Mars is small (i.e. earlier in the apparition), I use this form.

Ron B[ee]

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