Why a mental “someday” list doesn’t work
An observer might read about an interesting nebula in a journal or hear about a passing comet during a club meeting and mentally file it away as “something to look for next time.” Without a written record, these intentions are prone to two failure modes: they’re either forgotten entirely, or they’re duplicated — you research the same “interesting object” twice because you didn’t write it down the first time.
A mental list is not a reliable system for long-term hobby planning. When the sky finally clears and you’re standing at the eyepiece, the friction of trying to remember that one interesting object often leads to falling back on the same few targets you’ve already observed many times, rather than making progress on your actual goals. Moving these targets from a mental “someday” list into a written one — on paper, in a notes app, or in a spreadsheet — is a small step that measurably improves follow-through.
Managing a wishlist well
A written wishlist only helps if it’s kept lightweight enough to actually maintain. A few habits make the difference:
- Keep entries minimal. A wishlist item needs little more than the object’s name and type (planet, deep-sky object, comet, and so on). The goal is a fast prompt for future action, not a research file — save the deep detail for the observation log once you’ve actually seen it.
- Prioritize, don’t just accumulate. A wishlist that only grows becomes as useless as no list at all. Periodically ranking entries — even informally, into “next clear night,” “this season,” and “someday” — keeps the list actionable instead of turning into an archive of things you’ll never get to.
- Link time-sensitive entries to the event that makes them relevant. Some wishlist items are only worth prioritizing around a specific window: a comet near perihelion, a planet approaching opposition (when it’s biggest, brightest, and up all night), or an annual meteor shower’s peak date. Noting that date next to the wishlist entry — even just scribbled in a margin — turns a vague intention into something you’ll actually act on at the right time, rather than remembering the object only after the window has passed.
- Remove items once observed. Whether you cross a line through it in a notebook or delete a row in a spreadsheet, clearing completed items keeps the list a true reflection of what’s still outstanding rather than a mix of goals and past achievements.
How this connects to the Messier catalog
A wishlist and a catalog checklist (like the Messier catalog) serve a similar “goals” function but operate differently. A wishlist is personal and dynamic — you can add any object you choose, from obscure NGC galaxies to specific double stars, and it grows or shrinks based on your own interests. A catalog checklist, by contrast, is a fixed, known list (all 110 Messier objects, for example) where the goal is completeness rather than personal curation. Keeping the two separate — one for “things I’ve decided I want to see” and one for “progress through a known list” — avoids conflating two different kinds of goals.
How Astral Book handles this
We built Astral Book‘s wishlist around the same minimal-entry philosophy described above: just a target name and type, so you can add an item in seconds. In the Management tab, you can select any wishlist item and start a “New Observation” directly from it, which pre-fills the name and type into the new log form. Once that observation is saved, the app removes the matching wishlist entry automatically, so the list only ever shows what’s still outstanding — the same “remove once observed” habit worth following in any format.
Key Features of Astral Book’s Wishlist:
- Free-Tier Access: The wishlist and Messier catalog tracking are available to all users, even on the free tier.
- Minimal Input: Fast entry, with the date and time defaulting to “now” and your last-used location pre-filled once you convert a wishlist item into an observation.
- Privacy and Reliability: Your wishlist is stored locally on your device and works at remote dark-sky sites without any cellular connection.
- Data Control: You can export your wishlist along with your logs at any time using our free PDF, CSV, or ZIP export tools.
For users who wish to remove all recording limits and unlock advanced features like equipment master management and saved gear sets, a Pro version is available as a one-time purchase.
Download Astral Book on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/astral-book/id6764449141
Summary
A written wishlist — kept lightweight, prioritized periodically, and linked to specific events like an opposition or a meteor shower peak when relevant — turns vague “someday” intentions into targets you actually observe. Whether that list lives in a notebook, a spreadsheet, or an app, the habit of writing it down and clearing it as you go is what makes it useful.
For a broader look at how different tools compare for managing your observation history, see our hub article: Astronomy Observation Logs: A System, Not Just a Notebook
To see how this pairs with reviewing what you’ve already observed, read: Same Target, Different Night: Comparing Your Own Observation History
This article organizes information from a recording and organizing perspective. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us. Last verified: August 2026
