Privacy Policy
Last updated: March 14, 2026
S.O.L.A.R.I.S. ("we", "us", "our") operates the website at solarisdiscovery.com. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information.
1. Information We Collect
| Data | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Username | Account signup | Display on leaderboards, nominations, and your public profile |
| Email address | Account signup | Account authentication and service communications |
| Password | Account signup | Stored as a salted PBKDF2 hash — we never see or store your plaintext password |
| Star nomination data | When you adopt a star | Processing your nomination, displaying results, leaderboards |
| Payment information | When you make a purchase | Processed entirely by Stripe — we never see or store your card number, CVC, or billing details |
| Usage data | When you visit the site | Cloudflare analytics (anonymized page views, no tracking cookies) |
2. How We Use Your Information
- To operate your account and process star nominations
- To display your username on public features (leaderboards, nomination feeds, "Nominated by" credits)
- To process payments via Stripe
- To send important service-related emails (e.g., if a planet is found on your star)
- We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing
- We do not send promotional emails or newsletters unless you opt in
3. Cookies
We use a single authentication cookie:
- solaris_token — A JWT (JSON Web Token) that keeps you logged in. It is HttpOnly (not accessible to JavaScript), Secure (HTTPS only), and expires after 30 days. No tracking or advertising cookies are used.
4. Third-Party Services
- Cloudflare — Hosts our website and API. Subject to Cloudflare's Privacy Policy.
- Stripe — Processes payments. Your payment details are handled entirely by Stripe and subject to Stripe's Privacy Policy. We receive only confirmation of payment, your Stripe customer ID, and subscription status — never your card details.
- NASA MAST Archive — We query publicly available astronomical data. No personal data is sent to NASA.
5. Data Retention
- Account data is retained for as long as your account is active
- Star nomination data and results are retained indefinitely as part of the project's scientific record
- If you delete your account, your personal data (email, password hash) is removed. Your nominations may be retained in anonymized form
- Payment records are retained as required by law (typically 7 years for tax purposes)
6. Your Rights
You may:
- Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your account and personal data
- Withdraw consent for non-essential data processing
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at cassius.mehlhopt@gmail.com.
7. Children's Privacy
The Service is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are between 13 and 18, you should have parental or guardian consent to use this Service.
8. Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your data:
- Passwords are hashed with PBKDF2-SHA256 (100,000 iterations)
- All connections use HTTPS/TLS encryption
- Authentication tokens are HttpOnly and Secure
- Payment data is handled entirely by Stripe (PCI-DSS compliant)
No system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.
9. Changes
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance.
10. Contact
For privacy-related questions or requests, contact:
cassius.mehlhopt@gmail.com