Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 31, 2026

Your location never leaves your browser

The Tonight page asks for a location so it can show you a personal aurora-visibility verdict. That location — whether typed in, chosen from a list, or read from your device's geolocation API — is stored only in localStorage in your own browser. It is never transmitted to this site's server or to any third party, and there is no server-side account or database that stores it. The aurora verdict itself (comparing your geomagnetic latitude and local darkness against the current Kp index and NOAA's OVATION model) is computed entirely client-side, in JavaScript running on your device. If you clear your browser data, the saved location is gone.

What is not collected

This site does not require an account, does not ask for your name, email address, or precise identity, and does not run any tracking pixel, session-recording, or fingerprinting script. There is no comment system and no newsletter sign-up.

Cookies

This site itself does not set first-party tracking cookies. If advertising is enabled (see below), Google may set cookies as described in that section.

Analytics

Aurora Tonight uses Cloudflare Web Analytics for basic, aggregate traffic measurement (pages viewed, approximate country, browser type). Cloudflare Web Analytics is cookieless: it does not use any client-side state, does not track individual users across sites, and does not fingerprint devices. It cannot be used to identify you personally.

Advertising

Advertising is not currently enabled on this site.This section describes the arrangement that will apply once it is, so the policy is accurate in advance rather than needing a rewrite later.

When enabled, pages on this site will serve ads through Google AdSense. Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies — including the DoubleClick DART cookie — to serve ads based on a visitor's prior visits to this and other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on a visitor's visit to this site and/or other sites on the Internet.

You can opt out of personalized advertising by visitinggoogle.com/settings/ads. You can also opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visitingaboutads.info/choices.

Upstream data source

The space-weather data displayed on this site (Kp index, solar wind, auroral oval) originates from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, a public, government data source. Requesting that data does not require and does not transmit any personal information about you as a visitor.

Changes to this policy

If advertising is turned on, or if a new data source or feature changes what is collected, this page will be updated and the "last updated" date above will change accordingly.

Contact

Questions about this policy can be sent through theContact page.