Legal
Privacy Policy
Short version: your photos are used only to build the stack you asked for and are not kept afterwards. The web server keeps standard access logs (time, IP address, user-agent and requested URL) for security and operations. No accounts, no tracking cookies, no advertising.
1. Who runs this service
StarStacky is a free tool for the astrophotography community. It is operated at starstacky.vinii.de. For any privacy question, use the contact address at the bottom of this page.
2. Your photos
When you add frames and press Stack, the images are uploaded to the stacking backend, held in memory only for the duration of that processing job, and discarded once the job finishes or the server restarts. StarStacky does not create a copy of your photos, does not publish them, does not share them with anyone, and does not use them to train anything.
- Frames are processed only to produce the stack you requested.
- Results are held in memory so you can download them during your session.
- Nothing is written to a permanent image library or archive.
3. The stacker session token
When you open the site, the backend generates a random, short-lived session token and keeps it only in server memory (valid for about two hours). It is needed to upload images and run a stack, and it helps the server limit abuse and keep the service available for everyone. The token contains no personal data and is not stored on disk.
4. Server logs
The service runs behind an nginx web server with standard access logging. For each request, the server records:
- Time of the request
- IP address of the client
- User agent (browser/OS string)
- Requested URL and basic response status
These logs are kept for the normal operation and security of the server (for example, to diagnose errors and to detect abuse). They are not used to build user profiles, are not sold, and are not combined with your photos. Log retention follows the web server's normal rotation policy.
5. Cookies and third parties
StarStacky sets no tracking or advertising cookies and runs no analytics. The pages load the fonts Syne, DM Mono and Instrument Serif from Google Fonts; when your browser requests those font files, Google receives your IP address and user-agent as part of that request.
6. Your rights
Because the service does not keep your photos and does not maintain user accounts, there is generally no stored personal content to access, correct or delete. If you believe your IP address appears in the server logs and you want it removed, contact us and we will handle the request in line with applicable data-protection law (for example the GDPR).
7. Changes
This policy may be updated as the tool evolves. The "last updated" date at the top will reflect the current version.
8. Contact
For privacy or data requests, reveal the address below (it is fetched on request rather than pasted into the page).