Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Milky Way Tonight is an app and website operated by Jack Fusco, a landscape astrophotographer based in the United States. The app is available at themilkywaytonight.com and as a mobile application for iOS and Android.

If you have any questions about this policy, you can reach us at privacy@themilkywaytonight.com.

2. Data the app accesses

The following table describes every type of data the app accesses, why it's needed, and where it goes.

Data type	Purpose	Where it goes
Location (GPS)Device	Used to calculate astronomical data for your position: galactic core visibility window, moon rise and set times, Bortle class lookup, and dark sky finder results. Location is requested only when you tap "Use my location."	Used on-device for calculations. Your coordinates are sent directly from your device to Open-Meteo (weather), lightpollutionmap.info (Bortle data), and Nominatim (reverse geocoding) — never to our servers.
Device orientationDevice	Used exclusively in Sky View AR mode to align the star map with the direction you are pointing your device.	Used on-device only. Never stored or transmitted anywhere.
CameraDevice	Used exclusively in Sky View AR mode to display a live camera feed behind the star map overlay.	The camera feed is rendered directly to the screen and never captured, saved, or transmitted.
Weather forecastNetwork	Hourly cloud cover data for your location, used to score your Milky Way viewing window and power the 7-day forecast strip.	Your coordinates are sent directly to Open-Meteo (open-source, no API key required). Open-Meteo's privacy policy applies to that request.
Light pollution dataNetwork	Sky brightness (Bortle class) for your location, derived from VIIRS 2024 satellite data.	Your coordinates are sent directly to lightpollutionmap.info. Their privacy policy applies to that request.
GeocodingNetwork	City name search and reverse geocoding (converting GPS coordinates to a readable place name).	City search queries are sent to Open-Meteo's geocoding API. Reverse geocoding uses Nominatim (OpenStreetMap). OpenStreetMap's privacy policy applies to Nominatim requests.
App preferencesLocal only	Your saved locations, recent searches, favourite spots, photo plans, and settings (moon threshold, cloud threshold, dark adapt mode).	Stored exclusively in your device's local storage. Never transmitted anywhere. Cleared when you delete the app.

3. Data we do not collect

• We do not operate any servers that receive your location or personal data
• We do not require account creation or sign-in of any kind
• We do not use advertising networks or sell data to third parties
• We do not use analytics services (no Google Analytics, Firebase, or similar)
• We do not use crash reporting services that transmit device data
• We do not use tracking pixels, cookies, or cross-site identifiers

4. Third-party services

The app makes direct requests to the following third-party services. These requests originate from your device and are governed by each service's own privacy policy. We have no control over and take no responsibility for the practices of these third parties.

Open-Meteo

Provides weather forecasts and city name geocoding. Open-Meteo is a free and open-source weather API that does not require user registration. Privacy policy: open-meteo.com/en/terms.

lightpollutionmap.info

Provides sky brightness and Bortle class data derived from VIIRS satellite imagery. Operated by Jurij Stare. Privacy policy: lightpollutionmap.info.

OpenStreetMap Nominatim

Provides reverse geocoding (converting GPS coordinates to readable place names). Operated by the OpenStreetMap Foundation. Privacy policy: osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy.

5. Email sign-up (website only)

The website offers an optional email notification sign-up to be notified when the app launches. This is entirely voluntary.

• Email addresses submitted through the notify form are stored with Kit (formerly ConvertKit), our email service provider
• We will only use your email address to send app launch notifications and, if you opt in, monthly best-nights forecast emails
• We will never sell, rent, or share your email address with third parties
• You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send

Kit's privacy policy applies to the storage and processing of email addresses: kit.com/privacy.

6. Children's privacy

Milky Way Tonight is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The app does not require any personal information to function.

7. Data retention

Because we do not collect personal data on our servers, there is nothing for us to retain or delete. All app data (saved locations, photo plans, settings) is stored on your device and is removed when you uninstall the app. Email addresses submitted through the website notify form are retained until you unsubscribe.

8. Your rights

Depending on your jurisdiction you may have rights including access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data we hold about you. As described above, the only personal data we hold is your email address if you signed up for notifications. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the address below.

If you are a resident of California, the CCPA gives you the right to know what personal information is collected and to request deletion. If you are in the EEA or UK, GDPR applies. In either case, the only data we hold is your email address if you opted in, and you may request deletion at any time by unsubscribing or contacting us directly.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the app or website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We will not make material changes that reduce your privacy rights without providing notice.