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How to Keep an Astronomy Observing Log

It's one thing to look up at the night sky and see the heavens. It's another to keep an astronomy observing log so that you can share what you've seen with friends and family. An astronomy observing log allows you to keep a record of the things you've seen and, thanks to the Internet, you can now store the log and images online for the world to see.

Things You'll Need

Camera (optional but recommended)
Telescope or binoculars

Instructions

- 1
  Use a camera in conjunction with the telescope to keep a log of observations.
- 2
  Keep detailed notes for the log. Write down the date and time at which you took a picture so that you can include it in the log.
- 3
  Keep your images in the order in which they were taken to make it easier to match them to written log entries. The best logs are those that are done chronologically throughout the period of observation.
- 4
  Start your own blog/website. This makes it possible to share your observations with a larger group, and friends and family across the country or around the world will be able to see the beautiful images you have taken.
- 5
  Invest in dedicated log software. There are a few software suites like Starry Night or Redshift that make it easy to catalog images and observations in one convenient place.
- 6
  Use a red flashlight or the log software's night setting in order to protect your night vision. This makes it easy to write or keep working without having to let your eyes constantly readjust.
- 7
  Keep track of when specific objects or celestial events are going to occur. When planets are in conjunction or when a comet is going to pass close to another astronomical object are perfect times to create log entries.

Astronomy