How do you keep astronomy logs current when star catalog names change?

[JerryRG]

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[Larry88]

I was looking at some older star charts the other night and noticed how many designations for deep sky objects have changed over the decades. It got me thinking about my own notes and how future amateurs might interpret what I’ve recorded. How do you all handle the inevitable updates to catalogs and nomenclature in your own observing logs? I don’t want my records to become confusing down the line.

[Stephen_L]

I keep the original designation I wrote in the notebook and then drop in the updated name later, usually in parentheses, so both stay legible.

[Mason16]

I started a tiny index page in my log where I jot the object's catalog IDs, the date I last checked for name changes, and a quick note about what changed.

[Samuel.M]

Sometimes the updates feel endless and I worry I’m chasing a moving target more than recording what I actually saw. I wonder if the real issue is something else.

[Tyler.S]

For anchors I rely on the RA and Dec rather than the name, and I tag the name change as metadata.

[Ryan4]

I tried cross referencing several catalogs and ended up with duplicates and mismatches, so I stopped relying on a single source.

[Violet_B]

I use an observing log app that links to catalogs and can show red flags when a designation shifts, but I keep the old label in the record for context.