Observation Log

The observation log automatically records your observations with position data, equipment, and timestamps.

Manual Logging

You can also create entries manually — for example if you forgot to log during the observation or want to add a past entry.

Via the Entries Tab

Open the Observation Log → Entries tab
Tap “+” in the toolbar
Select an object from the catalog
The entry is created with the current timestamp, GPS, and calculated Az/Alt, and opened directly for editing

Via the Catalog Detail View

In the detail view of a catalog object, you will find the “Create Log Entry” button. This also creates a manual entry for the displayed object.

Editing the Timestamp

For manual entries you can change the timestamp after the fact. The azimuth/altitude position is automatically recalculated for the new time.

Automatic Logging

When you tap the “Log” button on the main screen (bottom center, only visible when a target is set), an entry is created with:

Target name and catalog ID
Target position (Az/Alt) and measured position
Telescope and eyepiece used (from the default settings)
Magnification
Number of calibration stars
Location (Lat/Lon)
Timestamp

Viewing the Log

Open the log via Menu → “Observation Log”.

The view has two tabs:

Sessions — shows all observation sessions with date, location, and entry count
Entries — shows all observations in chronological order

Searching Entries

In the Entries tab you can filter observations using the search bar. The search covers object names and notes.

Managing Sessions

Sessions group observations from a single night or location.

Creating a Session

A new session is created automatically when you log an observation. You can also create a session manually using the “+” button in the Sessions tab.

Ending a Session

There are several ways to end a session:

Session detail: Open an active session and tap “End Session”
Swipe gesture: Swipe right in the session list and tap “End Session”
Automatically: Open sessions are automatically closed when a new session is created

The end time is set to the current time.

Session Duration

A session’s duration is calculated as follows:

If an end time is set: end time minus start time
If no end time is set: time of the last entry minus start time
If no entries exist: 0 minutes

Assigning Entries

Each log entry can be assigned to a session. Via the context menu (long press) you can choose “Assign to Session” and assign the entry to an existing session, or remove the assignment.

Detail View

Tap an entry to see all details:

Object: Name and catalog ID
Position: Target and measured Az/Alt values
Equipment: Telescope, eyepiece, Barlow, filter, magnification
Conditions: Seeing, transparency, visibility rating
Weather: Temperature, wind, cloud cover, humidity
Context: Number of calibration stars, location, timestamp, moon phase
Notes: Free-text field for personal remarks

Tap “Done” to save changes.

Deleting Entries

Swipe left in the list to delete a single entry.

Deleting or Moving Multiple Entries

Tap “Select” in the entries list
Select one or more entries by tapping
Use the toolbar at the bottom:
- Delete: Deletes all selected entries (after confirmation)
- Assign to Session: Assigns all selected entries to a session

Show Sky

You can view the sky as it appeared at a specific time — directly from the observation log.

From an Entry

Long-press an entry in the list and choose “Show Sky” from the context menu. The app:

Sets the time travel to the time of the observation
Centers the observed object in the sky view
Closes the log and shows the sky view

This lets you see exactly where an object was when you observed it.

From a Session

In the session detail view, tap the clock icon (🕐) in the toolbar. The app sets the time travel to the start time of the session and shows the sky as it looked at the beginning of the observation night. Ideal for checking which objects were still visible that evening.

Sky Conditions

When creating or editing a session, you can specify three scales for sky conditions. These help you assess the quality of your observation night and compare it with previous sessions.

Seeing (1–5)

Seeing describes atmospheric stability and affects image sharpness in the eyepiece. Based on the Antoniadi scale:

Value	Description	For Beginners
1	Strong turbulence — Stars appear as shapeless blobs, no sharp focus possible	Stars flicker strongly, blurry
2	Poor, strong fluctuations — Diffraction pattern visible but strongly in motion	Stars dance noticeably
3	Moderate, slight undulation — Diffraction rings occasionally visible but restless	Stars shimmer slightly
4	Slight undulation — Diffraction rings nearly stable, only minor fluctuations	Stars mostly steady
5	Perfect, stable diffraction — Diffraction pattern sharp and steady, ideal conditions	Stars are sharp points

Transparency (1–5)

Transparency describes the clarity of the sky and affects the visibility of faint objects:

Value	Description	For Beginners
1	Heavy haze, only bright stars — Strong haze or cloud veil, only the brightest stars visible	Very hazy, few stars
2	Hazy, Milky Way invisible — Noticeable haze, Milky Way not visible	Hazy, no Milky Way
3	Some haze, Milky Way faint — Slight haze, Milky Way faintly visible	Slightly hazy, Milky Way faint
4	Clear, Milky Way visible — Clear sky, Milky Way clearly visible	Clear sky, Milky Way visible
5	Crystal clear, Milky Way prominent — Excellent transparency, Milky Way structured and distinct	Crystal clear, rich star field

Bortle Scale (1–9)

The Bortle scale describes light pollution at the observation site:

Value	Description
1	Excellent dark site — Zodiacal band visible, gegenschein prominent
2	Typical dark site — Zodiacal band faintly visible
3	Rural sky — Slight light dome on horizon
4	Rural-suburban transition — Light domes in several directions
5	Suburban sky — Milky Way only visible near zenith
6	Bright suburban sky — Milky Way only faintly visible
7	Suburban-urban transition — Milky Way invisible
8	City sky — Only the brightest constellations recognizable
9	Inner city sky — Only a few stars visible