Privacy & cookies

Last updated 24 October 2026

Who we are

Public Universe is run by Wicked Sick Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. For anything in this policy, email [email protected].

What we collect, and why

• Server logs. Our hosting provider records the IP address, requested page, browser type and time of each request, as every web server does. We use these only to keep the site running and to investigate abuse. They are kept for up to 30 days.
• Account and alert data. If you create an account, we store your name, email address, password hash and any visibility alerts you save (object and location) so we can notify you when the condition matches. Remove alerts from your alerts page, and contact us to delete your account data.
• Optional observing backup. Only when you explicitly upload a preview, your equipment, sites, lists and journal are copied to your account. This can include site coordinates and private notes. The copy is encrypted in our database; the application can decrypt it for you. You can replace or delete it from Private observing backup. A revision marker remains after deletion to prevent older devices silently restoring the deleted copy. Signing in or out does not upload, download or erase browser guest records. Account previews are not persisted in browser storage. Private observing backup
• Analytics. Analytics helps us make the site better. Anonymous Google Analytics (G-4H1XSCFT9J) is enabled by default so we can see which planets, missions, and tools people explore most. There is no ad tracking or cross-site profiling. Google Analytics 4 anonymises IP addresses and gives a rough region, not a precise location. We use Google Consent Mode v2: analytics storage (analytics_storage) is granted unless you choose "Essential only". That choice is stored in this browser as pu_cookie_consent. Choosing "Essential only" disables analytics storage, clears Google Analytics cookies (_ga and _ga_*), and stops subsequent analytics page-view hits for the session. Choosing "Accept analytics" keeps analytics storage granted. While analytics stays on, moving between pages is recorded as a page view. The advertising signals ad_storage, ad_user_data and ad_personalization stay denied, because we do not use analytics for advertising. Google Tag Manager, when configured, loads with those defaults already set. The address reported to those tags is the redacted page location from this server, and automatic page views that would read the address bar are switched off. The direct Google Analytics script loads on every page when a measurement id is configured. The address we send has sensitive parts removed, so a settings link you open never sends the observing location inside it to Google. We do not link analytics to an account. The no-JavaScript Tag Manager image is left out unless this browser has already chosen Accept analytics, which the server can read from the cookie_consent cookie. Without JavaScript the banner cannot record a choice, so that image is not loaded for a visitor who has not opted in. A response that includes the image is not stored in a shared cache.
• Newsletter. If you sign up, your email address goes straight to Mailchimp, who send you a confirmation link (double opt-in). Nothing is stored on our servers. You can unsubscribe from the link in any email, and we will delete your address on request.
• Your location (astronomy tools). Some tools can use your approximate location to tailor sky data. For sky and night calculations, the rounded location is sent to our API without being saved as an account location. Alerts and private backups that you explicitly save can retain locations as described above. Weather checks for the observer panel and explicitly requested night forecasts are made server-side to Open-Meteo from our infrastructure, using the same location rounded to two decimals (about a kilometre), so your IP address is not sent to Open-Meteo. Forecasts are cached for 30 minutes per rounded grid cell and are not tied to a person. A settings link you copy to another device keeps those values in the fragment of the URL (after #), which browsers do not send to our server, to our logs, or as a Referer. Entering a what3words address is optional — the other ways of giving a location do not contact what3words. The weather lookup described above still uses Open-Meteo. Pasting a what3words address into the sky panel sends the three words to what3words to convert them; that lookup is not stored, cached or logged. Locating an observing site on Your observatory is separate and also optional. Our server sends those three words to what3words, returns the coordinates and nearest place for you to confirm, and caches a successful result — the address, the coordinates rounded to about a kilometre, and the nearest place — so the same lookup is not repeated. The cache is not tied to an account. A saved site can show an approximate what3words address for its rounded coordinates when that lookup is already cached or otherwise inexpensive.

Feedback and contact

The feedback form sends your chosen topic, message and optional reply email to our private inbox at [email protected] through our email delivery provider. Submissions are not published or used for newsletter signups. We do not automatically attach your observing location, equipment, journal or account details.

We use these messages to respond to enquiries and improve the site. They remain in our mailbox while needed to handle the enquiry and related follow-up. Contact [email protected] to ask us to remove your message. If delivery fails or validation finds an error, your form fields are temporarily kept in your session so you can correct and resend them; they are not stored as feedback records in our database.

The form uses an essential session cookie, CSRF protection and a short-lived request limit keyed to your connection to reduce spam. Normal web-server access logs still apply. Please avoid including passwords, exact observing locations or other sensitive details in your message.

Cookies and local storage

You can change your mind at any time. Choosing "Essential only" disables analytics storage, clears _ga cookies, and stops subsequent analytics page-view hits for the session. Clearing pu_cookie_consent in this browser makes the banner ask again on your next visit. Browser settings and a link to manage your private observing workspace are listed on Your settings. Account and alert records are separate from browser storage and are used only for sign-in and notifications.

Third parties

• Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics 4 — usage statistics. Anonymous Google Analytics (G-4H1XSCFT9J) is enabled by default to help us make the site better. Choosing Essential only disables analytics storage, clears _ga cookies, and stops subsequent analytics page-view hits for the session. There is no ad tracking or cross-site profiling. Google privacy policy
• Open-Meteo — hourly cloud, visibility, humidity and wind forecasts for observer outlooks and optional night forecasts. Open-Meteo docs
• what3words — converting a what3words address you enter into coordinates, and an approximate address for a saved site’s rounded coordinates. what3words privacy policy
• Mailchimp (Intuit) — newsletter delivery. Mailchimp privacy statement
• NASA / JPL, IAU Minor Planet Center — the astronomical data itself. No personal data is exchanged.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 you can ask what we hold about you, have it corrected or deleted, object to processing, or withdraw consent. Email [email protected] and we will respond within one month. If you are unhappy with how we handle it, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).

Changes

If this policy changes in a way that matters, we will update the date above and, where we can, say so on the site.