I try not to do any research on these targets before hand as I prefer to have a unbiased view going in, seeing a image before hand might give me unrealistic expectations.
Almost like a beginner that expects to see M42 as a glorious full colour object in the eyepiece.
Once the session is done and there were some really interesting targets that stood out for me, then I like to do some research to find out more about them.
More often than not I end up following more links and reading up more on it's history along with some of the stories or folklore surrounding them.
With the internet at our fingertips and the ability easily access information on such a vast array of subjects, it is easy to research and really dig deep. I have uncovered obscure catalogs I had never heard of, or astronomers of yore that played a role in a objects story that I was unaware of.
So many great people did so much to bring our modern catalogs and constellations to us and their stories fascinate me!
I get immense satisfaction from having learned something new, next time I am at the eyepiece and come across the target again, it adds so much to the experience.
From simple things like knowing there are exoplanets around a star, or visiting some obscure star that is of interest to professional astronomers. Or finding out how it came to be named, who was the first to log it and other interesting stories. These all add to the enjoyment for me.
For me, the research after the fact is almost as enjoyable as the time at the eyepiece.
Does anyone else enjoy it, or even do this?