Privacy Policy

How we collect, use, and protect your information

Introduction

MeteorGazer ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our meteor shower prediction service.

By using MeteorGazer, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

Location Information

  • Geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) when you manually enter a location or choose to use browser geolocation
  • City, country, and timezone information for accurate calculations
  • Approximate country detection based on IP address, browser locale, or timezone to preselect country options

Usage Data

  • Prediction requests and search queries
  • Date and time preferences for observations
  • Browser type, device information, and operating system
  • Pages visited and time spent on our service

Technical Data

  • Local storage data for improved user experience
  • Error logs and performance metrics

How We Use Your Information

Provide Services: Calculate accurate meteor shower predictions based on your location and preferences

Improve Experience: Remember your preferences and provide personalized recommendations

Core Functionality: Remember your preferences and support location-based prediction workflows

Communication: Send important updates about service changes or astronomical events

What We Do Not Currently Do: We do not currently run advertising scripts or analytics tracking on the site

Third-Party Services

OpenCage Geocoding API

We use OpenCage Geocoding API to convert addresses and city names into precise coordinates. Location queries are sent to OpenCage servers for processing. Please review OpenCage's privacy policy for more information about their data handling practices.

Country Detection Services

To make the country selector more convenient, MeteorGazer may request an approximate country from third-party IP lookup services or infer it from your browser locale and timezone. This is used only to prefill country choices and is not required for prediction accuracy. If you prefer, you can simply choose a country manually instead of using the suggested default.

Data Security & Retention

Security Measures

  • HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
  • Secure storage of cached location data
  • Regular security audits and updates
  • Limited access to personal information

Your Rights & Choices

You Have the Right To:

  • Access your personal information
  • Correct inaccurate data
  • Delete your information
  • Opt-out of data collection

How to Exercise Rights:

  • Clear browser data
  • Disable location services
  • Contact us for data requests
  • Use private browsing mode

Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify users of significant changes through our website or email. Your continued use of MeteorGazer after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.