Solar
Privacy & cookies
The short version: we collect as little as we can, nothing non-essential runs without your say-so, and you can ask us to delete anything we hold.
Last updated 15 September 2026
Who we are
Solar 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.
- Analytics (only with your consent). If you accept analytics cookies we load Google Analytics 4 with IP anonymisation, which tells us which pages people find useful and roughly where in the world they are. We do not use it for advertising and we do not link it to any account. If you choose "essential only", nothing from Google is loaded at all. (Analytics is not currently switched on.)
- 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. If you allow it, the location stays in your browser and is sent to our API only for that calculation; it is not stored or logged with anything that identifies you.
Cookies and local storage
| Name | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| cookie_consent | Remembers your cookie choice (essential). | 1 year |
| solar-session | Keeps interactive pages working between requests (essential). | 120 minutes after the last request |
| XSRF-TOKEN | Protects forms against cross-site request forgery (essential). | 120 minutes after the last request |
| theme | Local storage, not a cookie: your light/dark choice. Never leaves your browser. | Until cleared |
| _ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics, set only after you accept analytics. | Up to 2 years |
You can change your mind at any time by clearing the cookie_consent cookie in your browser; the banner will ask again on your next visit.
Third parties
- Google Analytics — usage statistics, only with consent. Google 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.