I find that one of the most rewarding things to do is to document my observations. There are many reasons for this, but the one that is most imortant for me is that it makes you slow down and really “observe” what it is you are looking at. There are going to be at least two articles about documenting observations in different ways, and in this article I am starting with the easiest one. Keeping an astronomy journal.

Keeping a journal may sound lame to some, but before we had computers and fancy cameras, journaling was how astronomers documented their findings. If you also take the time you reflect on your methods and equipment, it can help you make improvements.

Now, as far as what to actually write in your journal, that is up to you, though I do encourage you to keep track of a few things. Those are listed in the bullets below.

• Date
• Time
• Object(s) observed
• Location
• Moon Phase
• Equipment used

Once you have these listed, consider adding a notes section where you write about your observations. This could be describing what it is you see, how your equipmet performed, the sky conditions, or even how an object or your equipmet made you feel while observing. Journals are highly personal, and it is okay to mention your feelings in your own journal when writing. When you look back through them years later, all of these pieces of information help you to remember the experience.

Don’t feel like you have to be locked into just writing about your observations either. You can write things you have learned during you session, ideas you have for new ways or things to observe, or even about equipment you would like to get. The whole point is to help you reflect and also to be able to come back later and see your progress through the years.

Some people like to take notes while they observe and then put that into a journal entry later and some, like me, just observe and then write in their journal after getting back inside. Either is valid, but if you are specifically wanting to keep track of what you saw, it would be a good idea to take notes while you observe.

Sketching while you observe is also a great way to see and notice more things during your sessions. There are many methods for this, so I will be writing a separate article about sketching.

I hope this is helpful to someone and encourages you to keep track of what you see while under the stars!