Privacy policy


This page explains what data VarAstro processes and how it is handled. We take a simple, conservative approach: we do not sell, rent or otherwise pass your personal data to any third party. Your data is used solely to operate the service and to make astronomical observations available to the community.

Data controller

The data controller is the Czech Astronomical Society, Fričova 298, 251 65 Ondřejov, Czech Republic, ID No. 00444537. VarAstro is operated by its Variable Star and Exoplanet Section. Full information about the processing of personal data is available at sphe.astro.cz/en/privacy-policy.

Data visible to other users

VarAstro is a collaborative platform for observers of variable stars and exoplanets. By its nature, some information is shared with other members of the system:

  • A registered user has access to the contact e-mail address of other registered users of the system, so that observers can reach one another.
  • When you upload an observation, unless that particular observation is explicitly marked as "private", it is published on the main feed and in the observation database. Together with the observation, the following details are made public for that record: the name of the observer, the description of the observing station, the description of the instrument used and the observation data itself.
  • Observations marked as "private" are not shown on the public feed or in the public observation database.

By publishing an observation you acknowledge that your data may be used for scientific purposes, including in scientific publications. How the data and the observer should be credited is explained on the Data usage & citation page.

You remain in control of what you publish: choose the "private" option for any observation you do not wish to share publicly.

We process your registration data in order to provide the service you have asked for (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR). The observer's name shown with published observations is processed on the basis of our legitimate interest in attributing authorship (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

You can delete your account at any time in your profile settings. Observation data remains part of the scientific archive; you can request its anonymisation through the contact page.

Cookies

We use cookies only for essential functionality of the website – authentication (keeping you signed in and securing your session). We do not use cookies for advertising, tracking, profiling or any other purpose.

Cloudflare Turnstile

To protect our sign-up, sign-in and password-recovery forms against automated abuse, this site uses Cloudflare Turnstile, a privacy-preserving alternative to CAPTCHA.

Turnstile confirms that you are a human by analysing signals from your web browser, without asking you to solve puzzles or identify images. It does not collect personally identifiable information, is not used for advertising, and does not track you across websites.

Your use of Turnstile is subject to the Cloudflare Privacy Policy.

Contact

If you have any questions regarding the processing of your data, please reach us through the contact page.

You have the right to access your data, to have it rectified, erased or its processing restricted, the right to data portability and the right to object to processing. You can download a copy of your data at any time in your profile settings.

You may also lodge a complaint with the Czech data protection authority (Úřad pro ochranu osobních údajů, Pplk. Sochora 27, 170 00 Prague 7, uoou.cz) or with the supervisory authority in your country of residence.