Privacy Policy
Astro Night Sky
This policy explains how this application handles information and how to contact us about privacy.
Information we process
Astro Night Sky is an accountless astronomy journal. On your device it stores your observer name, time zone, coordinate and language preferences, appearance, reading progress, observation plan, reminder dates and journal records. Records contain a selected celestial object, observation date and time, a place or address you type, sky transparency and seeing ratings, notes and an optional photo you select. Journal records, including selected photos, are sent to our backend for synchronization. Your observer name, plan, lesson progress and preferences are not sent to that backend. A cryptographically random installation secret is created automatically and stored in the device Keychain; the server stores a SHA-256 hash of it, installation creation information and revocation information. We do not request an email address, account, password, precise device location or advertising identifier. Railway hosting receives network requests, which can expose IP addresses, request times, paths, response status and technical connection information to its infrastructure even when you only visit this website.
How we use information
We use journal content to save, retrieve, edit, delete and synchronize your own observations for this installation. The secret authorizes private access without a user account. Device-only preferences control presentation, dates and coordinates; reading progress and the plan support your learning and observing sessions. Selected photos are resized and stored with their journal entry. Notification dates are used by the iOS local notification system to deliver reminders you request. The server checks storage readiness, validates requests and applies bounded connection, request and storage limits to operate and protect the service. The app contains no analytics, advertising or purchase SDKs.
Service providers and sharing
The backend and its persistent SQLite database run on Railway, which provides hosting, storage, networking and associated infrastructure processing. The app uses Apple's operating-system services for Keychain, photo selection, local notifications and the system share sheet. A photo picker provides only the image you select; we do not read your whole photo library. If you export JSON and share it, the destination app or person you choose receives that file under its own practices. There is no automatic email delivery, third-party analytics or advertising sharing in this app. Service operators with authorized infrastructure access can access the server storage. Infrastructure providers may process technical logs; this app does not control or promise a specific Railway log retention period. We may disclose information when legally required.
Data retention
Journal records remain locally until you delete them or remove the app, and on the server until their authorized deletion; no automatic expiration period is implemented. Offline edits and deletions remain queued on-device until synchronization succeeds. Revoked secret hashes and revocation timestamps are retained on the server to prevent an old secret from being reused. Device archive files are excluded from device backup by the app, and the Keychain secret uses a device-only accessibility class. The server does not implement an application backup or timed backup deletion program. Any infrastructure snapshots or backups that exist are governed by hosting operations; we do not promise immediate removal from such copies or a fixed retention period. Deletions and revoked credentials must be preserved if operational backups are restored.
Deleting your information
Delete an individual journal entry in the app to remove its local copy and queue deletion of its server copy. Settings offers Delete all data, which requires a working connection to delete server observations and revoke the installation secret before clearing local journal content, plan, preferences and reading progress. If the network is unavailable, erasure remains visibly pending and the secret is retained so the request can be retried; it is not reported as completed. Pending local reminders are removed after successful erasure. The revoked hash remains solely to block reuse. Deleting the app alone does not send a server deletion request, and Keychain items may survive app removal. There is no account-based recovery: losing the secret makes old server records inaccessible through the app. Exported files and copies shared to other apps are outside this deletion flow and must be removed separately.
Permissions and your choices
Photo attachment uses the iOS system photo picker and only imports images you choose; the app does not request broad photo-library access or camera access. You can remove a photo from a record and save the change to synchronize its removal. Local notification permission is requested only when you save a reminder. You may decline or withdraw it in iOS Settings without losing journal or plan functionality. You can remove a planned date/reminder in the app. No location permission or geographic map service is used; observation locations are optional text supplied by you. The app needs an internet connection for synchronization and public policy access but the bundled catalogue and lessons remain available offline.
Your privacy rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to processing, and to complain to your local data-protection authority. You can view and edit observations in the app, export the journal as JSON and request deletion with the built-in controls. For privacy questions or rights requests contact torindunsmore@icloud.com. This address is a privacy contact only; no account or outbound email feature is built into the app. Because we do not have an account directory and cannot recover a lost installation secret, we may be unable to identify server records from a name or email alone. Do not send your secret or sensitive journal content in an email; we will discuss an appropriate way to verify a request.
Security
Private API operations require the installation-specific random bearer secret over HTTPS. Server queries and mutations are scoped to its hash and records are never served through a public journal endpoint. The Keychain secret is device-only, local archive writes are atomic with iOS file protection, and the server uses transactional SQLite, input validation, bounded payloads and rate limits. The application logger does not record journal payloads or installation secrets. Railway may maintain its own infrastructure logs. The server database is not end-to-end encrypted with a user-held encryption key; authorized infrastructure operators may access it. Anyone possessing the bearer secret can access that installation until revocation. No system can guarantee absolute security.
Children’s privacy
The app is intended for astronomy learners aged 14 and older and is not designed for children under 14. It has no account registration or age-verification system. Avoid entering unnecessary personal information in notes, places or photos. If you believe information from a child below the intended age has been provided, contact torindunsmore@icloud.com so we can discuss identification and deletion consistent with the installation-based access model and applicable law.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when the app's processing or hosting practices change. The current policy is published on this page with its effective date and linked from app Settings. Material changes will be described in an updated policy and, where appropriate, through an app update or notice. Review this page periodically. We will update the policy to reflect actual new processing before enabling it.