Deep Sky Creations

Plain language

Terms of use

A short, plain-language statement of how the site can be used and what you can expect from the information on it.

Last updated

Content and ownership

All original astrophotography on Deep Sky Creations is copyright Mike. You may view it freely. Reuse, reproduction, or commercial use without written permission is not allowed.

Imagery from NASA, ESA, JPL, STScI, and other space agencies is used under each agency's published terms and is credited per entry. Catalog text and reference data are paraphrased from public sources (NED, SIMBAD, Wikipedia) with attribution; underlying licences for those sources govern your reuse of that material, not these terms.

The visibility computations, ephemeris values, and orbital positions on this site are best-effort. They use the astronomy-engine library (which implements VSOP87 and Meeus) and are accurate to within a few arc-minutes for normal observing, but they are not certified for navigation or scientific publication.

Do not use this site to make safety-critical decisions. In particular: the Sun's daytime visibility window does not mean it is safe to look at without a proper solar filter. Solar observation without certified equipment can permanently damage your eyes.

When the print store launches, separate purchase terms will be presented at checkout via Shopify. Those terms — covering payment, shipping, returns, refunds, and dispute resolution — apply to the purchase only. These site terms continue to apply to your use of the rest of the site.

Deep Sky Creations is provided as-is. Mike makes no warranty of fitness for any particular purpose and is not liable for losses arising from use of the site, errors in the data, or unavailability of the service. Use it the way you'd use a friend's notebook — carefully, but don't bet anything important on it.

These terms are governed by the laws of Michigan, USA. Any dispute will be resolved in the appropriate courts of that jurisdiction.

These terms can be updated. Material changes will reset the "last updated" date at the top of this page. Continuing to use the site after a change means you accept the updated terms.