Aurora Watch ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website at aurorawatch.space (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and share information when you visit our Site.
Aurora Watch is a space weather monitoring service that displays real-time data sourced from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. We are not affiliated with NOAA.
Key points: We do not create user accounts. We do not collect your name, email, or contact information. Third-party advertising partners including Google collect data through cookies when you visit our Site.
2. Information We Collect
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit Aurora Watch, certain information is automatically collected by our hosting provider and third-party services:
Log data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, time and date of visit, and time spent on pages.
Device data: Device type, screen resolution, and browser settings.
Location data: General geographic location inferred from IP address (country/region level). We do not collect precise GPS location.
Information We Do NOT Collect
We do not collect your name, email address, phone number, or any contact information.
We do not require account registration.
We do not store payment information.
We do not collect precise location without your explicit permission.
3. Advertising & Google AdSense
Aurora Watch uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google AdSense is operated by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
How Google AdSense Works
Google AdSense uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.
Ad Personalization: Google may use your browsing history across websites to show you personalized ads. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or aboutads.info.
Google's Data Collection
When ads are displayed on this site, Google may collect:
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. Aurora Watch and our advertising partners use cookies for the following purposes:
Cookie / Technology
Provider
Purpose
Duration
__gads, __gpi
Google AdSense
Ad delivery, frequency capping, fraud prevention
13 months
IDE
Google DoubleClick
Ad personalization and measurement
13 months
ANID, NID
Google
Ad preferences and personalization
6–13 months
_ga, _gid
Google Analytics (if enabled)
Site usage analytics
2 years / 24 hours
aw_consent
Aurora Watch
Stores your cookie consent preference
1 year
Managing Cookies
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of this and other websites. Most browsers allow you to:
View cookies stored on your device
Delete cookies individually or all at once
Block cookies from specific sites or all sites
Block third-party cookies
For instructions, visit your browser's help documentation or allaboutcookies.org.
5. Third-Party Services
Aurora Watch uses the following third-party services that may collect data independently:
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.
6. GDPR — Rights of EU / EEA Residents
If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):
Right to access — Request a copy of personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification — Request correction of inaccurate data.
Right to erasure — Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
Right to restrict processing — Request that we limit how we use your data.
Right to data portability — Request your data in a portable format.
Right to object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including for direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent — Withdraw consent for data processing at any time.
Legal Basis for Processing: We process data on the basis of legitimate interests (site analytics and security) and consent (advertising cookies). You may withdraw consent at any time using the cookie preferences button at the bottom of this page.
EU residents may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. A list of EU data protection authorities is available at edpb.europa.eu.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 10.
7. CCPA — Rights of California Residents
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with the following rights:
Right to Know — Request disclosure of the personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell.
Right to Delete — Request deletion of personal information we have collected from you.
Right to Opt-Out — Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information.
Right to Non-Discrimination — We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information: Aurora Watch does not directly sell personal information. However, our advertising partner Google may share data for cross-context behavioral advertising, which may constitute a "sale" under California law. To opt out, visit Google Ads Settings or use the cookie preferences tool on this site.
To submit a CCPA request, contact us using the details in Section 10. We will respond within 45 days.
Categories of personal information collected in the past 12 months:
Identifiers (IP address, cookie IDs)
Internet or other electronic network activity (browsing history, interactions with ads)
Geolocation data (general, inferred from IP address)
Sources: Collected directly from your device and browser when you visit the Site.
Business purpose: Site operation, security, and advertising.
Disclosed to: Google LLC (advertising).
8. Children's Privacy
Aurora Watch is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
For users in the EU, we do not knowingly collect data from children under 16 without verifiable parental consent.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Continued use of Aurora Watch after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or have a privacy concern, please contact us: