Privacy Policy

Novae: Space & Astronomy ("we," "us," or "our") values your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your information when you use our mobile application. We built this app to provide you with astronomy tools, launch tracking, and educational content while keeping your data safe and minimized.

1. Data We Collect and Who Sees It

To be transparent, we separate data into "What We See" (the developer) and "What Service Providers See" (the automated tools).

A. What We (The Developer) Can See

We do not see your real-time location, your browsing history, or your personal files.

• If you sign in, we can see your Email Address and Name to manage your account.
• We can see the list of "Favorites" (NASA images) you choose to save to the cloud.
• We see aggregated, anonymous statistics (e.g., "50 users opened the app today"), but we cannot link this to you personally.

B. What Service Providers See (Automated Collection)

The app uses trusted third-party services to function. These services process data automatically:

• Approximate Location (GPS Coordinates):
  • Who sees it: WeatherAPI.com and Google AdMob.
  • Why: To show you the cloud cover forecast for your specific area and to serve relevant advertisements.
  • Safety Note: Your location is sent securely to get the weather forecast and is not stored permanently on our servers.
• Device Identifiers (Advertising ID):
  • Who sees it: Google AdMob.
  • Why: To display advertisements that support the free version of this app. You can reset this ID in your phone settings at any time.
• Crash Logs and Diagnostics:
  • Who sees it: Google Firebase Crashlytics.
  • Why: If the app crashes, a technical report is sent so we can fix the bug. This report includes your device model and the line of code that failed, but not your personal photos or messages.

2. Data Safety and Encryption

Your safety is our priority.

• Encryption: All data transmitted between your device and our servers (such as your login details or weather requests) is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS industry standards.
• Authentication: We use Google Firebase Authentication, which means we do not store your password directly. Your login is handled securely by Google.

3. Your Rights and Data Deletion

You have full control over your data.

• Cloud Data Deletion: The app includes a "Delete Account" button in the Settings menu. Clicking this will permanently wipe your account and all saved "Favorites" from our cloud database immediately.
• Local Data: You can clear local cache (such as map tiles) by clearing the app data in your phone settings or uninstalling the app.

4. Children's Privacy

This app is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it immediately.

5. Third-Party Links

The app may contain links to external websites, such as NASA or space news sources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites.

6. Contact Us