1. Who We Are

Universe Map operates the website universemap.net, an educational astronomy platform featuring articles, visualizations, interactive maps, and related digital experiences. References to "Universe Map," "we," "us," or "our" in this policy refer to the operator of this website.

Questions or requests concerning privacy can be sent to [email protected].

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide

We may receive information that you voluntarily submit, such as your name, email address, message, licensing inquiry, correction request, or other details included in a contact form or email.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the site, our systems and service providers may automatically process technical and usage information, including your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring pages, pages viewed, approximate location derived from IP address, interaction events, timestamps, and diagnostic data.

Cookies and similar technologies

We and our partners may use cookies, local storage, pixels, tags, and similar technologies to operate the site, remember choices, measure performance, understand audience activity, prevent abuse, and support advertising. More detail is available in our Cookie Policy.

3. How We Use Information

• Provide, maintain, secure, and improve the website and interactive tools.
• Measure traffic, engagement, performance, and technical reliability.
• Respond to messages, licensing inquiries, corrections, and support requests.
• Detect fraud, invalid traffic, abuse, security incidents, and policy violations.
• Display, measure, and improve advertising where advertising is enabled.
• Meet legal, regulatory, accounting, and contractual obligations.

4. Google Analytics and Google Advertising

Universe Map uses or may use Google services, including Google Analytics and Google AdSense. Google Analytics helps us understand how visitors use the site. Google AdSense may use cookies or other identifiers to serve, limit, personalize, and measure advertising.

Third-party vendors, including Google, may use cookies to serve ads based on a visitor's previous visits to Universe Map or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on visits to this site and other sites on the internet.

Visitors can manage personalized advertising through Google Ads Settings. Additional industry opt-out choices may be available at YourAdChoices. Information about how Google uses data from sites and apps that use its services is available in Google's partner sites policy.

5. Legal Bases for Processing

Where applicable law requires a legal basis, we process information based on one or more of the following: your consent; performance of a service you request; our legitimate interests in operating, securing, measuring, and improving the site; and compliance with legal obligations. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting processing that occurred before withdrawal.

6. How Information May Be Shared

We do not disclose personal information for unrelated purposes. Information may be shared with vendors that provide hosting, content delivery, security, analytics, advertising, communications, and website infrastructure services. These providers process information under their own terms or on our behalf.

Information may also be disclosed when reasonably necessary to comply with law, respond to valid legal process, protect rights or safety, investigate misuse, or support a merger, reorganization, financing, or transfer of website operations.

7. International Data Transfers

Universe Map is available worldwide. Information may be processed in countries other than the country where you live, including locations where our service providers operate. Where required, appropriate safeguards are used for cross-border transfers.

8. Retention and Security

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including security, dispute resolution, recordkeeping, and legal obligations. Retention periods vary by data type, context, and provider settings.

We use reasonable administrative and technical measures designed to protect information. No internet service or storage system can guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, or objection to certain processing. You may also have the right to withdraw consent or complain to a local data protection authority.

Residents of certain U.S. states may have additional rights regarding targeted advertising, sale, sharing, or profiling. Universe Map will respond to verified requests as required by applicable law and will not discriminate against visitors for exercising privacy rights.

To submit a request, email [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.

10. Children's Privacy

The site provides general educational astronomy content and is not directed at children for the purpose of collecting personal information. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children in a manner prohibited by applicable law. A parent or guardian who believes a child submitted personal information may contact us to request its removal.

11. External Links and Embedded Services

The site may link to or embed third-party websites, media, maps, or tools. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies. We encourage visitors to review those policies before providing information.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy when our services, providers, or legal obligations change. The current version will remain posted on this page with an updated effective date. Material changes may also be highlighted through the website or consent interface where appropriate.