It's time to admit that being the new person just isn't pleasant. It's hard when you enter a new workplace, where your co-workers are in already-established groups, and it's hard for a new hobby as well. It can take a lot of courage for people to put themselves out there. We’ve seen it done, and we’ve done it ourselves.

But newcomers will be pleased to know that astronomy is a hobby that's incredibly welcoming, and clubs and societies do their best to recruit new members. Newbie/Open Nights, Family Nights, speaking events, star parties - even trips to the USA to see the eclipse this August (our local club has organised this, and we’re Australian. It’s a pretty long way to go!).

So you’ve just booked tickets to one of the biggest astronomy events of the year - but now what? If you’ve never been to a show like this before, it’s can be pretty daunting, especially for beginner astronomers just getting into the game. We know exactly how you feel, and we’ve been through the same thing! So we’re here to help you enjoy (and survive!) NEAF weekend.

We're a company that primarily makes digital setting circles - but we've never really offered a clear explanation about what they are (unless you count a short explanation on our brochures). This has been a mistake on our part, considering that digital setting circles can be an astronomer's most-used accessories and have benefited anyone who's ever used them.

We reckon that it's about time we sat down and wrote about the products we make and sell. Below you'll find explanations about DSCs and a little history lesson about them.

It's true - we've found ourselves forgetting bits and pieces on nights out. We've crashed and burned as we realised we left our favourite eyepiece at home. It's even worse when we go to star parties, since we'll have to spend an entire weekend without whatever item we forgot! Some people forget to bring a tent despite bringing the tent pegs.

Through trial & error, we’ve found some great ways to make sure we bring everything we need - we all know that mental lists just don’t cut it when you’re packing last minute the morning you leave (trust us!).