Introduction
An alternative to making copies of your Asterism Observing Log, along with all the required sketches, addressing a large envelope and affixing the required postage is to send your log and sketches electronically.
Sending your log electronically takes a little more effort, but once you have logged the last required observation, craft an email to the observing club coordinator with the required information the cover letter would require. Create a WinZip file of your Asterism Observing Log and the 100 .jpg sketches, attach this .zip file to your email, press the SEND button on your email program and voila, you have submitted your observations electronically.
Instructions
In order to submit your observations electronically, you must have the ability to scan your field sketches of the asterism and create a .jpg file of the image. If you do not have a scanner, try a place like Kinko's, or a company like this. They can create a .jpg for you from your field notes that you can then edit and crop on your PC.
Additionally, if you wish to use the Asterism Log Template provided, you must also have the WinZip program (or equivalent programs) installed on your PC.
An Asterism Observing Log and the related empty 110 .jpg files has been created for you. Download the WinZip file Asterism.zip and save this file to your computer. Double click on the Asterism.zip file and extract all the files to your C:\My Documents directory. Doing this will create an Asterism directory in your My Documents directory and the AsterismLog.xls and 110 empty .jpg files will be created in the Asterism directory.
To use the Asterism Observing Log, open the AsterismLog.xls file, if you have MS Office installed on your PC (or equivalent program), find the asterism you wish to log, fill in the required observation data in the colums provided. Remember to Save your .xls file when your edits are complete.
If you cannot open and modify the AsterismLog.xls program, an AsterisnLog.pdf file has been provided. Print this log on 8×14 inch paper and fill in your observations as you record them. When you are ready to submit this Asterism Ovserving Log, scan the pages and make an "electronic" version of your paper log. Again, Kinko's, or a company like this, can scan your paper log and make a .pdf file for you.
This program requires a sketch of the asterism in addition to the required information about the observation. To create an electronic sketch of your asterism, scan your field notes that contain your sketch of the asterism. Save this scanned image by replacing one of the empty AsterismXXXX,jpg file in the Asterism directory, where XXX is the number of the asterism you observed, in a range from 001, 002, …, 009, 010, 011, …, 099. 100, 101, …, 110. In other words, the asterism number will be the 3 digits to match the template's empty .jpg filename provided.
Using a picture editing program, such as MicroSoft Office Picture Manager and the CROP function, move the edges of the scanned .jpg image till only the asterism is shown, and no other text or pictures of the original scanned image. Save this .jpg file.
At this point, you have completed one observation, by noting the date, time, location, seeing and equipment used along with the sketch. All electronically.
Now observe and record 99 more asterisms this same way and you will be ready to submit your observations electronically.
To submit your observations, open your C:\My Documents directory and right click on the Asterism directory. Choose the WinZip option and then the Add to Asterism.zip option. Click the Add button and then the OK button. You now have an Asterism.zip file to attach to your cover letter email. If you are using the paper version of the Asterism Observing Log, place the "electronic" version of this paper log in this directory BEFORE you create the Asterism.zip file.
This is all the required observing log infomation the coordinator requires in order to issue you your certificate and award pin.
Remember the additional information that the coordinator requires in order to process your certificate request. Your name, address, club affiliation, etc. All the information detailed on the Program's Introduction page.