Do you share you observations?
Yes, on the Observing Log page, individual sessions on observing sessions pages and in my observing blog.
Why do you log your observations?
After too many Oh, that one again's at the eyepiece, I started to keep track of the objects I observed. Soon after I first started keeping track, I started adding object descriptions. By doing so, my observing log was born.
How do you log your observations?
At the eyepiece, I use a digital memo recorder. By doing so I can quickly log a lot of detail without having to move my eye from the eyepiece. Also, I don't need to waste scarce and precious time under clear skies scribbling notes on paper.
After an observing run, I work out my observations in AstroPlanner.
What are you trying to achieve by logging your observations, what is your goal?
Nothing. I am just doing what I like to do.
Why this website?
Because I am having a heck of a lot of fun practicing astronomy and I feel like sharing it.
What Bortle class is your home observing location? How about observing sites abroad?
I don't know and I don't care.
What's the highest SQM value you ever measured?
Sorry, I am not participating in the SQM competition. I only care about what I see in my eyepiece. But since you asked: SQM values - always measured towards the zenith - are included in my observing log for every observing run since autumn 2008.
Also: SQM is nothing. Transparency is everything.
What magnitude is the faintest DSO you ever observed?
No idea. I believe (read: I know) magnitudes for extended objects are close to useless. "Surface brightness" values are even worse. What I do care about is the brightness of an object on a Blue POSS plate; that's my standard candle for visual astronomy.
How do you compile an observing plan?
I use the AstroPlanner planfiles that match my observing guides and I plan to observe objects close to their transit times.
Do you use a GOTO telescope?
Yes I do. I do so because I find it not the least bit challenging nor exciting to manually point a telescope at a position in the sky. Also, I live in one of the worst parts of the world when it come to clear spells: it can go for months without any break in the clouds here. Therefor I want to make to most of my observing runs and do not want to spend my scarce observing time moving my scope from one position to the other by hand.
What software / astronomy apps do you use?
A computer running MacOS, AstroPlanner - that application can truly walk on water - and Microsoft Office. That's all.
On my phone and tablet I use Sun Surveyor to determine dark times and Moonset and -rise times whenever I do not have a computer nearby. I sometimes use SkySafari, but only to determine how to best set up a timelapse sequence by displaying the field of view for the camera and lens combination used.
Are you a member of any astronomy forum or group?
I am a member and Object of the Month author on Deep Sky Forum, I am a member of the Webb Deep-Sky Society, the owner of the Deep Sky Hunters group and the Clear Skies group.
I shy away from most other forums, primarily due to so-called "moderators" (a.k.a. God's gift to astronomy), the endless repetition of objects and because of members who somehow have a strong personal need for a forum in their lives.
I also believe a lot of forum members would benefit from adding the text Need to reobserve !!1! to their forum signatures: would save a whole lot of posts and would greatly improve the signal to noise ratio.
Did you discover any objects?
I ran into a few objects that are - to the best of my knowledge - unknown and undesignated. Details are on the Discovery pages.
Are you an astrophotographer?
No, the overwhelming majority of what I do is visual astronomy. I do set up a timelapse sequence once in a while and I like to hunt for meteors, but I do not practice prime focus astrophotography (yet).
Do you have a backyard observatory?
Not yet, but I have plans 🙂 .
