The Journal · July 30, 2026

Cookies

Short version: two cookies are needed for the site to work, nothing measures you until you say yes, and saying no is a real option that we remember.

Cookies we set without asking

These two are strictly necessary, which is why they do not require consent. Neither follows you to other websites.

• Session. Holds a signed token proving you are logged in. Without it, the app cannot know who you are and every page would ask you to sign in again. It is removed when you log out.
• Language. Remembers which of the six languages you chose, so the site opens in it next time.

Measurement, only if you agree

We would like to know which pages are read and where readers come from. That runs through Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics, and it is switched off by default — not "off after you refuse", but off before the question is even asked. The tags load in a refused state; if you accept, they are unlocked without reloading the page.

Your answer is stored in your browser's local storage rather than in a cookie, and it expires: thirteen months if you accepted, six months if you refused. After that we ask again, as the French data protection authority recommends.

Changing your mind

There is a link in the footer of every page to reopen the choice. Refusing takes effect immediately and does not degrade the site in any way — the sky map does not need analytics to compute where Saturn is.

You can also clear your browser's storage for this site, which resets everything including your display settings and compass calibration, or block cookies entirely in your browser settings — in which case you will not be able to stay signed in.

Third parties that see a request

Some features load files from other servers, which necessarily see the request even without setting a cookie. The light-planning map fetches its tiles from OpenStreetMap, CARTO and Esri. Payments go through Stripe, which sets its own cookies on its own pages for fraud prevention. Both are described on our privacy page.

Last updated: [[TO COMPLETE: date]]. Questions: [[TO COMPLETE: contact email]].