IRSA Privacy Statement

Notice to Users -- Privacy Notice

The NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive is an archive of images, catalogs, and spectra from NASA missions, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This Web site is maintained by the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), located on the campus of the California Institute of Technology ("Caltech").

The information you provide on a Caltech Web site will be used only for its intended purpose. We will protect your information consistent with the principles of the Privacy Act, the e-Government act of 2002, the Federal Records Act and, as applicable, the Freedom of Information Act. This notice is posted pursuant to the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003 (Cal Bus & Prof Code Sections 22575-22579).

Submitting information is strictly voluntary. By doing so, you are giving Caltech your permission to use the information for the intended purpose. In addition, Caltech may also furnish this information to NASA at NASA's request. If you do not want to give Caltech permission to use your information, simply do not provide it. However, not providing certain information may result in Caltech's inability to provide you with the information or services you desire.

Caltech never collects information for commercial marketing. We will only share your information with a government agency if it relates to that agency, or as otherwise required by law. Caltech/JPL never creates individual profiles or gives your information to any private organization.

We collect no personal information about you when you visit this Web site, unless otherwise stated or unless you choose to provide this information to us. However, we collect and store certain information automatically for use in site management and security purposes. What we collect and store automatically in terms of site statistics is:

We use the summary statistics to help us make our site more useful to visitors, such as assessing what information is of most and least interest to visitors, and for other purposes such as determining the site's technical design specifications and identifying system performance or problem areas.

The Web site also collects and stores information about your search options, such as

If you register as a user, these options will be kept in our database (along with your login ID and password via MD5 hash) and used for your session the next time you log in. If you do not register as a user, these options are set via cookies kept on your computer; if you clear your cookies and start a new session, these preferences are lost.

At no time is your private information, whether stored in persistent cookies or elsewhere, shared with third parties who have no right to that information. If you do not wish to have session or persistent cookies stored on your machine, you can turn them off in your browser. However, this may affect the functioning of the Web site on your computer.

The IPAC will protect all such information consistent with applicable law.

Comments Sent by E-mail

You may choose to provide us with personal information, as in an e-mail containing your comments or questions. We use this information to improve our service to you or to respond to your request. There may be times when your message is forwarded, as e-mail, to other IPAC employees who may be better able to help you. We normally do not share our e-mail with any other outside organizations, unless determined necessary for security purposes or when required by law. Remember that email isn't necessarily secure. You should never send sensitive or personal information like your Social Security number in an email. Use postal mail or secure Web sites instead.

Security Notice

IPAC is part of the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology ("Caltech"), and operates this Web site as part of a federally funded computer system used to accomplish Federal functions. Unauthorized attempts to defeat or circumvent security features, to use the system for other than its intended purposes, to deny service to authorized users, to access, obtain, alter, damage, or destroy information, or otherwise to interfere with the system or its operation is prohibited. Evidence of such acts may be disclosed to law enforcement authorities and may result in criminal prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996, codified at section 1030 of Title 18 of the United States Code, or other applicable criminal laws.

IPAC uses software programs to monitor this Web site for security purposes to ensure it remains available to all users and to protect information in the system. Any and all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized Caltech, JPL, NASA, law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies. By accessing this Web site, you are expressly consenting to such interception, monitoring, recording, copying, auditing, inspection and disclosure at the discretion of Caltech or NASA. Users have no explicit or implicit expectation of privacy.

Disclaimers

Disclaimer of Liability

With respect to documents available from this server, neither Caltech, nor the United States Government, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

Disclaimer of Endorsement

Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Caltech or the United States Government. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Caltech or the United States Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

Copyright Status

For information on possible copyright infringement, please visit Caltech's "Copyright Infringement" page.