SkyandTelescope.com July 2014 35years, however, my approach to the hobby has changed,
shifting further and further into structured pursuits. I
have come to appreciate the advantages of setting concrete
personal goals and adopting detailed observing plans. As a
result, I have gotten more out of my observing sessions in
the last two years than I did during the previous decade.
The reason for this late conversion seems almost silly
in retrospect. Last year I entered into an informal game of
one-upmanship against some members of my astronomy
club over who could rack up the most Astronomical
League observing awards (see page 38). Regardless of my
initial reasons, this exercise resulted in more and more
of my leisure observing becoming structured. I began to
see the benefi ts of goal-oriented plans, and I doubt my
observing routines will ever be the same.
Even if it ultimately isn’t for you, I think that every
amateur astronomer needs to give rigorous planning and
log-keeping the old college try. It might just enrich your
experience more than you ever thought possible. Accord-
ingly, I have prepared a list of the top six arguments in
favor of structured observing.
Motivation
I sometimes have a hard time mustering the energy to
haul out my telescopes and drive to a dark-sky site, or
even to set up in my own backyard — and I know I’m not
the only amateur astronomer who feels this way. Having
a busy personal and professional life makes it diffi cult to
devote time and energy to your hobby. Setting personal
goals such as creating detailed eyepiece sketches of the
entire Messier catalog or observing all planetary nebulae
visible within your telescope’s theoretical magnitude limit
can provide the impetus you need to get out there more
often. The sense of accomplishment from completing
observing goals like these is enormous; it makes you feel
like you can conquer the universe.
Expanding Your Horizons
An observing program forces you outside your comfort
zone. Instead of observing the same objects over and over,
you’ll track down things you would have never otherwise
considered. For instance, if you set out to observe all plan-
etary nebulae within your telescope’s theoretical mag-
nitude limit, you wind up seeing many nebulae that are
rarely mentioned in observing books. The sky is full of
surprising, hidden gems that aren’t part of the prominent
Messier or Caldwell lists. Diving deeper into the NGC
(New General Catalogue) or IC (Index Catalogue) can reap
surprising rewards.
Deeper Appreciation
Although you see will more objects in the long run if
you adopt an observing program, you will probably take a
slower pace on a nightly basis. When you’re exploring new
territory, you’re not likely to rush from object to object, as
The author fi lls in an entry in his logbook for the Messier Program.The author tries his hand at sketching Messier 42, the Great Orion Nebula.everybody tends to do when running through old famil-
iars. You can devote more attention to the object in front
of you, teasing out fi ner and fi ner details. You will often
discover that your equipment is far more capable than you
ever thought.Improving Your Skills
Taking the time to write detailed notes and sketch an
object yields dividends by training your eye to pull in sub-
tleties you otherwise wouldn’t have seen. It also leads to
a more systematic experimental approach. For instance,
if you’re studying nebulae, you will probably fi nd yourself
using fi lters more often, and using several diff erent fi ltersTRISTAN J. SCHWARTZ (2)