Who runs AstroBrain?
AstroBrain is an independent project operated by Hussam Ahmed. Hussam is responsible for how the service handles personal data.
If you have a privacy question or want to exercise your data rights, contact contact@astrobrain.net.
The short version
Your data is not a product. AstroBrain uses private information to provide AstroBrain and keep it secure — not for unrelated purposes.
- You can use AstroBrain without an account, with much of your data staying in your browser.
- If you sign in, the information you choose to save is stored with your account so it can be available across devices.
- Your exact observing coordinates are private and are not published on public pages.
- There are no advertising cookies, analytics tracking cookies, or ads.
- We do not sell or rent personal data, use it for advertising or profiling, or use private data to train AI systems.
- You can download or delete your account data from Settings.
How we use private information
AstroBrain uses information only when it is needed to provide a feature you request, save information you ask us to remember, keep the service secure, prevent abuse, understand and improve AstroBrain, respond to support requests, or comply with the law.
We do not use private plans, locations, equipment, notes, or files to create advertising profiles, sell products, send marketing campaigns, or train artificial intelligence systems.
Using AstroBrain without an account
Without an account, the sites, equipment, saved targets, plans, and preferences you enter are kept in your browser on your device, not in an AstroBrain account.
Some calculations may temporarily send the information needed to AstroBrain’s server so it can return a result. These requests are not saved as account data unless you choose to save the information.
Browser-stored data remains until you clear AstroBrain’s site data. Creating an account does not automatically copy browser-only data into your account.
Accounts and sign-in
You can sign in with Google or with an email address. WorkOS, a specialised authentication provider, handles sign-in so AstroBrain does not need to build or store its own password system.
If you choose Google sign-in, Google confirms basic profile information such as your name, email address, and profile picture. AstroBrain never receives your Google password. Email-sign-in passwords are handled securely by the authentication provider, not stored by AstroBrain.
AstroBrain keeps the account information needed to identify your account, remember your sign-in method, and show a display name. Your email address is available in Settings and included in your account export.
What you save while signed in
When you are signed in, AstroBrain may store the information you choose to save, including:
- observing sites, including exact coordinates, elevation, horizon profiles, and sky-brightness notes;
- equipment and rig details;
- plans, sessions, and Sequence Studio nights;
- logbook information, integration totals, and notes you write;
- saved optical setups and other tool configurations;
- unfinished tool drafts, which expire after 30 days; and
- preferences such as units, time format, default site, and default rig.
Some features remain browser-only or temporary. For example, saved target lists can reset when the service restarts, and multi-night Composer projects stay in the browser where they were created.
Location privacy
AstroBrain needs an observing location to calculate what is visible from your site. You can enter coordinates yourself or press the location button to let your browser share your position. Your browser asks for permission first, and AstroBrain does not request your position automatically.
Exact coordinates are used to provide the feature you requested and are stored only when you choose to save the observing site. They are not published on public pages.
For weather forecasts, AstroBrain sends Open-Meteo an approximate location rounded to roughly 10 kilometres, with elevation rounded to approximately 50-metre bands. The weather service does not receive your exact position.
Capture files and uploads
When you import capture files, your browser reads selected header information on your own device, such as the target, filter, exposure time, and date.
The original image files and their filenames are not uploaded. AstroBrain receives and stores only a summary needed for your logbook, such as dates, totals, frame counts, and quality figures.
If you upload a horizon profile, its contents are sent to AstroBrain and stored with your observing site.
Sharing
AstroBrain keeps your information private unless you choose to publish it. If you create a Sequence Studio share link, anyone with that link may be able to view the shared plan.
A shared plan always includes its title, date, and targets. Before publishing, you can switch off optional acquisition, equipment, or timing details.
Your exact observing coordinates and exact observing times are never included. Your site name, display name, target coordinates, and notes are included only if you choose them. Remember that your display name may be your email address.
Shared pages are excluded from search engines by default. A share link has no automatic expiry, but you can revoke it at any time. It also stops working when you delete your account.
Services that support AstroBrain
A small number of specialised providers help AstroBrain operate. Each receives only the information needed for its specific role:
- WorkOS — secure account sign-in.
- Google — only if you choose Google sign-in.
- Cloudflare — hosting, security, and delivery of the website.
- Neon — storage for saved account data.
- Open-Meteo — weather forecasts using an approximate location.
- CDS / Strasbourg Astronomical Data Centre — public astronomy data and sky-map resources.
- PayPal — only if you choose to make a donation through PayPal.
AstroBrain does not give these providers your private data for advertising, profiling, AI training, or unrelated purposes. When you use a third-party service directly, that service’s own privacy policy also applies.
Technical logs and diagnostics
Like any online service, AstroBrain’s servers may see basic connection information such as your IP address and browser type. Short-lived logs help identify and fix technical problems.
To keep certain features fair for everyone, Sequence Studio may use a random device identifier or a scrambled form of your IP address to limit excessive use. It may also record that a plan was exported or copied, along with the plan and time of that action.
Retention and deletion
Account data is kept while your account exists. Temporary tool drafts expire after 30 days.
You can delete your account yourself in Settings. Deletion removes your saved sites, equipment, plans, logbook, drafts, and share links from active systems. AstroBrain also asks WorkOS to remove your sign-in connection. That provider-side removal is best effort; if anything remains, contact contact@astrobrain.net and we will remove it manually where possible. Limited backup copies may remain until those backups expire, and some anonymous technical records may remain without a link to your account.
Deleting your account does not clear information stored only in your browser. To remove that information, clear AstroBrain’s site data in your browser.
You can download a copy of your account data at any time from Settings. This export covers account data, not information kept only in your browser.
Your choices and rights
You can use AstroBrain without an account, review and edit saved information, download your account data, delete your account, and revoke shared links.
Depending on where you live, you may also have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the use of your personal data, and to receive it in a portable format.
For questions or requests, contact contact@astrobrain.net. We will respond within the period required by applicable law and may need to verify your identity first. You may also complain to your local data protection authority.
Children
AstroBrain accounts are intended for people aged 16 and over. If you believe someone under 16 has created an account, please contact us so we can review and delete it where appropriate.
Security
AstroBrain uses encrypted connections, secure authentication, protected sign-in cookies, and access controls designed to protect your information. No online service can guarantee complete security, so please avoid entering passwords or other secrets into AstroBrain notes.
Where information is processed
AstroBrain and its service providers may process information in countries outside your own, including the United States. The providers’ own privacy policies explain how they handle international processing and transfers.
Changes to this policy
If AstroBrain changes how it handles personal data, this policy will be updated before or when the change takes effect. The date at the top of this page will also be updated.