Legal
Cookie policy
Three entries in total, listed individually. If something is added to the site it is added to this table, or the page becomes fiction.
Nothing that needs your consent is set before you give it. When you first arrive, analytics is already switched off — not merely un-ticked but actively denied, so Google receives an anonymous signal carrying no identifier rather than a full page view.
Change your choice at any time. Withdrawing is the same single click as granting.
Strictly necessary
Needed for the site to work and for your own privacy choice to be remembered. These cannot be switched off and they are not used to track you.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Type | Expires | Consent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rtss-consent | realtimesolarsystem.com | Remembers your cookie choice so you are not asked again. | localStorage | 6 months | Not required |
Analytics
Google Analytics, used to count visitors and see which pages are read. Off unless you turn it on. With it off, Google receives an anonymous signal with no identifiers attached.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Type | Expires | Consent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Ireland Limited | Distinguishes visitors so we can count how many people use the site and which pages they read. | Cookie | 2 years | Required |
| _ga_<container-id> | Google Ireland Limited | Keeps session state for Google Analytics 4. | Cookie | 2 years | Required |
Why the necessary one needs no consent
The only entry that is always present is the one recording your answer to this question. It holds a date and a yes or no, nothing more. Storing it is what stops the banner asking you on every page, and a choice that cannot be remembered is not a choice — which is why the law does not require consent for it.
Blocking them yourself
Every browser can block or delete cookies without our help, and most can be told to reject third-party cookies entirely. Doing so will not break this site: the simulation, the eclipse tables and the launch schedule are all computed and served without needing any of them.
See also the privacy statement, which covers what happens beyond cookies, and the legal notice.