Cookie Policy
How AstroSpace uses cookies
We default to necessary cookies only. Optional preference and community cookies are off until you choose otherwise.
AstroSpace uses first-party cookies to keep the site secure, remember your consent choices, and optionally save interface preferences. If you allow community cookies, we also store a pseudonymous visitor identifier to improve unique view counting, anonymous like detection, and comment-abuse protection.
When optional community cookies are off, anonymous views, likes, and comments can still work. In that case we fall back to a hashed fingerprint derived from network and browser information so we can limit abuse without storing raw IP addresses in the database.
| Name | Category | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| astrospace_cookie_preferences | Necessary | 180 days | Stores your cookie consent choices so we can respect them on future visits. |
| session | Necessary | Session | Maintains secure sessions, CSRF protection, and authenticated access while you browse the site. |
| astrospace_pref_* | Preferences | 180 days | Remembers optional interface choices such as saved tabs and filter-panel state when you allow preference cookies. |
| astrospace_theme | Preferences | 180 days | Remembers your selected light or dark theme when you allow preference cookies. |
| astrospace_commenter_name | Preferences | 180 days | Remembers the display name you chose for anonymous comments when you allow preference cookies and ask us to save it. |
| astrospace_visitor | Community | 180 days | Stores a pseudonymous visitor ID that helps us count unique post views, prevent duplicate anonymous likes, and reduce comment abuse when you allow community cookies. |
Need to change your choice later?
Use the Cookie Settings button in the footer at any time.