Need a better way to keep track of close aproaching asteroids

[PMSchu]

Hi Greg,

I've been creating observing logs to keep track of close approaching asteroids, but that's not an ideal solution. All the MP log entries really slow down the Restore operation. Can you suggest a better way to rank the quality of close approaches? I want to keep track of the ones that I've already evaluated. Perhaps the log entries can be deleted once the ratings have beeen applied. I do like the information that the logs allow me to add regarding maximum brightness & minimum earth distance though. Would Notes offer the seme options?

TIA,

Phil S.

[theskyhound]

Phil,

Log entries are for logging your observations. People use them for other reasons, but 99% of the time it turns out that they are misusing the logs as a kludge, when the notes feature offers a much more appropriate solution. The notes even have a ratings system built in. So the answer is yes, you should be using the notes unless there is some aspect of the logs that you need but isn't available for the notes.

Create a special Attachments folder. Maybe call it "Close Approachers."
Select that folder for all of your close approaching lists on the Nightly Planner / Real Time tools.
Enable the rating and notes brief columns in the lists.
Open the Object info for a minor planet via a right-click from a list (in order to take advantage of inheriting the Attachments folder).
Enter any amount of text. You can copy/paste. Enter a brief message that will appear in a column in your list. Select a 5-star rating.

[theskyhound]

By the way--restoring a backup is not meant to be something you do very often. Also, it should not take a long time to restore the logs.

I suspect you may still have issues with your minor planet database, if it is consistently taking a long time. As you know, your own minor planet database has been through the ringer, as they say. Even with a full database of minor planets, it should not take a long time to restore, because all it has to do is look up the minor planet, find it, and then move on, and that takes very little time. The fact that it is taking a long time would indicate that it is restoring orbits for minor planets that are required to support the log entries. That could happen once after you cleaned up your minor planets database, but it should not keep happening. If so, that would indicate a problem.

[PMSchu]

It's been several months since the last Restore, which took hours. I just noticed that when I opened the Potentially Hazardous Asteroids List that (1) Ceres was listed multiple times (like 8+). Since R8 was released the NEA downloads/updates have been much faster. Thanks.

I'll try the Notes approach.

Phil S.

[theskyhound]

I'll bet your restore goes a lot faster now.

[PMSchu]

Thanks Greg, using Notes is a much better way to keep track of the Close Approaching Asteroids. Plus the Brief info shows the particulars right in the Nightly Planner without having to open another dialog. Sweet.

Phil S.