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Terms of Service

Rules and conditions for using ApexASTRO websites, accounts, observatory services, and applications.

Effective date: May 31, 2026
Last updated: June 3, 2026 (application naming, data accuracy, location, app store billing, observatory & equipment disclaimers, household sharing, educational access)
Applies to: apexastro.app; skieslive.com; ApexASTRO user accounts (platform sign-in across the website and companion apps, including ApexSKY and ApexHUD); our mobile and desktop companion applications for Android, iOS, and Windows (including those currently offered as ApexSKY and ApexHUD, and any successor product names we publish in the app stores); observatory services; and installed web apps (PWAs) offered by SKIESLIVE LLC (doing business as ApexASTRO and SeeTheSkies).

1. Agreement to these terms

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of services operated by SKIESLIVE LLC (“ApexASTRO,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), doing business as ApexASTRO and SeeTheSkies. By accessing or using our website, creating an account, installing our companion applications, or connecting third-party accounts (such as Google/YouTube), you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. A summary of key accuracy and safety limitations is also available on our Disclaimer page.

In these Terms, ApexASTRO usually means SKIESLIVE LLC and our platform (website, accounts, and brands). Our applications or companion applications means installable software products we offer under that platform—such as those currently marketed as ApexSKY and ApexHUD—including preview or beta releases distributed through app stores.

If you do not agree, do not use our services. If you are using ApexASTRO on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

2. Who we are

SKIESLIVE LLC provides astronomy education, live observatory experiences, gallery content, member accounts, and companion applications under the ApexASTRO and SeeTheSkies brands. Our public website is available at skieslive.com. Community support is available through Discord and YouTube @skieslive.

SKIESLIVE LLC
117 South Lexington St Ste 100
Harrisonville, MO 64701
United States

3. Our services

ApexASTRO may offer, now or in the future:

  • A public website with gallery, observatory, sensor, and sky-information features.
  • User accounts with profile settings and cross-device application preference sync.
  • Companion applications for Android, iOS, and Windows, including ApexSKY, ApexHUD, and related releases we distribute through app stores (features may differ by product and platform).
  • Live and historical observatory data, WebSocket feeds, and optional notifications.
  • Staff-only tools for content and site management (authorized roles only).
  • Integration with third-party platforms such as Google/YouTube, Discord, Stripe (website membership billing), and app stores.

Features may change, be added, or be discontinued. Beta or preview features may be less reliable and are provided as-is.

4. Accounts & eligibility

4.1 Creating an account

To use certain features you must register at account.html. You agree to provide accurate information, keep your credentials confidential, and notify us if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

4.2 Eligibility

You must be old enough to consent to these Terms in your jurisdiction. If you are under 18, you may use ApexASTRO only with permission from a parent or legal guardian who accepts these Terms on your behalf.

4.3 Account security

You are responsible for activity that occurs under your account unless you promptly report unauthorized use. We may require email verification, password resets, or additional checks to protect accounts.

4.4 Staff and elevated roles

Authorized staff accounts (owner, admin, moderator, editor, or similar roles) may access additional tools. Misuse of staff privileges is grounds for immediate suspension or termination.

4.5 Location data

Some features need to know where you are observing from—for example ISS pass predictions, sky maps, Best Targets, alert scheduling, Bortle-style estimates, and saved observing sites. Depending on the feature and your choices, you may:

  • Enter coordinates or search for a place name manually on the website or in an app;
  • Allow the app to use your device’s location services (GPS or equivalent); or
  • Rely on approximate location inferred from network data when precise location is not available.

Location permission is optional for many features, but results may be less useful if you do not provide a site. You can change or revoke location access at any time in your device or browser settings. How we collect, store, and use location-related account data is described in our Privacy Policy (Sections 3 and 4).

4.6 Personal accounts & household sharing

Each person should use their own ApexASTRO account with a unique email and password. Do not share your login credentials with others—you remain responsible for activity under your account (Section 4.3).

If we offer household membership sharing, a paying member may invite up to two other registered accounts to receive member perks linked to that membership (see Section 7.10). Invited users keep separate accounts, alerts, and saved data; only membership entitlements are shared. YouTube channel membership remains tied to each person’s own linked Google account and is not shared through household invites.

If we offer educational access, eligible students and educators may receive time-limited complimentary website membership through a verified school email (see Section 7.11). Educational grants are personal, may not be shared through household invites, and do not replace @skieslive YouTube membership.

5. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

  • Use ApexASTRO for unlawful, harmful, fraudulent, or abusive purposes.
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts, APIs, observatory systems, staff areas, or infrastructure.
  • Scrape, overload, reverse engineer, or interfere with services except as permitted by law or with our written permission.
  • Upload malware, spam, or content that infringes others’ rights or violates applicable law.
  • Harass, threaten, or impersonate others in community channels associated with ApexASTRO.
  • Circumvent membership checks, entitlements, rate limits, or security controls.
  • Resell, sublicense, or commercially exploit ApexASTRO services without our permission.

We may investigate violations and cooperate with law enforcement when appropriate.

6. YouTube linking & membership

If you choose to link a Google/YouTube account or use features that verify @skieslive channel membership:

  • You authorize ApexASTRO to access limited YouTube-related information through Google OAuth, as described in our Privacy Policy.
  • Membership status and tier information are provided for feature access and perks in our companion applications. We do not guarantee uninterrupted verification if Google, YouTube, or network services are unavailable.
  • You may unlink YouTube from your account at any time in Account settings.
  • Staff authorization for channel membership verification is performed separately and is limited to authorized ApexASTRO operators.

Your use of Google and YouTube is also subject to Google’s terms and policies.

7. Website membership & subscriptions

ApexASTRO may offer paid website membership on membership.html with access to member features such as Best Targets and related perks. This section applies to subscriptions purchased through our website checkout. It supplements Section 6 (YouTube membership) and does not replace it—you may qualify for member access through either path, subject to the rules below.

7.1 Subscriptions & auto-renewal

Unless stated otherwise at checkout, website membership is sold as a recurring subscription for the term you select (for example 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year). Your subscription automatically renews at the end of each billing period for the same term until you cancel. By subscribing, you authorize SKIESLIVE LLC and our payment processor to charge your selected payment method for the initial term and each renewal at the then-current price (plus applicable taxes where required).

7.2 Payment processing

Payments are processed by Stripe and its supported payment methods (which may include card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Cash App Pay, Klarna, and others shown at checkout). SKIESLIVE LLC does not store full payment card numbers on our servers. Your use of Stripe and any wallet or buy-now-pay-later provider is subject to their terms and policies.

7.3 Pricing, taxes & changes

Prices, discounts, and available terms are shown on the membership order page before you pay. Applicable sales, use, or similar taxes may be added at checkout where required by law. We may change subscription prices for future billing periods; if required by law, we will give you advance notice and an opportunity to cancel before the new price takes effect on renewal.

7.4 Cancellation

You may cancel automatic renewal at any time from Account → Membership using Manage subscription (Stripe Customer Portal), or by contacting us. Cancellation stops future charges but generally does not refund the current billing period unless required by law or expressly stated at purchase. Member access typically continues until the end of the paid period already in progress.

7.5 Refunds & chargebacks

Except where required by law or where we expressly agree in writing, subscription fees are non-refundable once a billing period has started. If you believe a charge was made in error, contact us promptly. Initiating a chargeback without contacting us first may result in suspension of member access while the dispute is resolved.

7.6 Failed payments & access

If a renewal payment fails, we may retry billing through Stripe and send you email notices. We may suspend or end member access if payment cannot be collected after a reasonable period or if your subscription is cancelled or expires.

7.7 Complimentary & staff access

We may grant complimentary or staff-assigned membership separately from paid checkout. Such access may be limited in time, revoked for abuse or policy violations, and is described in our services and account tools.

7.8 Agreement at checkout

By starting or completing website membership checkout while signed in to your account, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy for billing, subscription management, and related communications.

7.9 App store & in-app purchases

If we offer paid features, subscriptions, or digital items through the Apple App Store, Google Play, or Microsoft Store, those purchases are billed by the store operator—not directly by SKIESLIVE LLC on our website. Section 7 above applies to website membership checkout via Stripe; this section applies to in-app / store billing.

  • Payment, refunds, and subscription management for store purchases are governed by the applicable store’s terms and policies, in addition to these Terms.
  • Subscriptions sold through a store may auto-renew unless you turn off renewal in your store account settings before the end of the current billing period (stores often require cancellation at least 24 hours before renewal).
  • Deleting an app or cancelling a website Stripe subscription does not automatically cancel a separate store subscription, and vice versa.
  • Digital items or premium tiers obtained in-app are licensed for your personal use in connection with our services unless we state otherwise; they are not transferable and may be modified or discontinued.

Price, term, and renewal details for a store purchase are shown by the store at the time you buy. Contact the store’s support for billing disputes tied to their payment systems.

7.10 Household membership sharing

If enabled on your account, an eligible paying member (“owner”) may invite up to two other ApexASTRO accounts (“household members”) to receive member feature access derived from the owner’s active website subscription or eligible complimentary grant. Household sharing does not merge accounts, transfer billing responsibility, or share passwords.

  • Separate accounts. Each household member must register and sign in with their own email. Alerts, saved locations, support tickets, and profile data remain separate.
  • Invites. The owner sends an invite to the invitee’s email. The invitee must verify their email (where required) and accept the invite in Account settings. Pending invites count toward the two-seat limit.
  • Eligibility. Owners need an active shareable website membership or eligible staff grant. Educational access grants (Section 7.11) cannot be used for household sharing. Accounts that already have their own paid or YouTube-verified member access generally cannot accept a household invite. YouTube perks stay per linked Google account.
  • Duration. Shared access lasts while the owner’s shareable membership remains active and the invite remains accepted. If the owner cancels, payment fails, or a grant expires, household members lose shared access at the same time.
  • Revocation. The owner may remove household members or cancel pending invites at any time. Household members may leave shared access from their account settings.
  • No resale or abuse. Household sharing is for personal household use only—not clubs, resale, or public redistribution. We may limit, revoke, or suspend sharing that violates these Terms.

7.11 Educational access (students & educators)

We may offer complimentary, time-limited website membership to eligible students and educators. When enabled, this program provides member feature access similar to paid website membership for personal educational use—not for resale, redistribution, or commercial operation.

Automatic verification (school email)

  • Eligibility. Your account must use a verified email address on an eligible academic or K-12 domain (for example U.S. .edu, selected international academic domains, or U.S. K-12 district domains). Personal email addresses are not eligible for automatic verification.
  • Confirmation. You request access from Account settings; we send a one-time link to your account email. Opening the link confirms you control that address and activates access for the stated term (typically one year).
  • Renewal. When the term ends, access stops unless you complete verification again while still eligible.
  • Limits. Educational grants are tied to your individual account. They do not include household sharing as a paying owner (Section 7.10) and do not grant @skieslive YouTube channel membership.
  • Revocation. We may suspend or revoke educational access for inaccurate information, ineligible email domains, abuse, or violation of these Terms.

Manual programs (planetarium, museum, clubs)

Planetarium or science museum staff, astronomy clubs, and similar organizations may request access through our support channels. Approval, duration, and labels are at our discretion and may require work or organization email verification.

8. Content & intellectual property

8.1 ApexASTRO content

ApexASTRO logos, branding, website design, software, observatory data presentations, and original materials are owned by SKIESLIVE LLC or our licensors and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, or redistribute them except as allowed by these Terms or with our permission.

8.2 Gallery and community content

Images and media in our gallery may originate from community contributors or connected services. Rights remain with their respective owners. Do not reuse gallery content without permission from the rights holder.

8.3 Your content

If you submit content to ApexASTRO (for example through Discord, staff uploads, or feedback), you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide license to host, display, and use that content to operate and promote our astronomy services. You represent that you have the rights to grant this license.

9. Third-party services

ApexASTRO integrates with or links to third parties including Google/YouTube, Discord, Stripe (payment processing and subscription billing for website membership), Apple App Store, Google Play, Microsoft Store, weather and astronomy data providers, and email delivery services. We do not control third-party services and are not responsible for their content, policies, or availability.

Your use of third-party services is governed by their terms. Website membership payments, renewals, refunds handled in Stripe, and payment-method rules are governed by Stripe and the relevant payment provider in addition to these Terms. App store purchases, refunds, and platform rules for mobile apps are handled by the relevant store operator.

10. Availability & astronomy disclaimer

ApexASTRO provides astronomy information, forecasts, sensor readings, and live telescope views for educational and entertainment purposes only. They are not professional meteorology, space-weather forecasting, astronomy consulting, or safety advice. Observing conditions, weather, equipment status, and live streams may change without notice due to weather, maintenance, connectivity, or safety constraints.

Do not rely on ApexASTRO as a sole source for safety-critical decisions (for example lightning risk, travel, or emergency response). Sensor data and alerts may be delayed, incomplete, or unavailable. Always follow local authorities and your own judgment when observing outdoors.

10.1 Data accuracy (weather, space weather & sky information)

Our website and companion applications may display or notify you about weather, cloud cover, sky quality, geomagnetic activity (for example Kp indices), solar and space-weather conditions, ISS passes, planet and deep-sky visibility, Bortle-style light-pollution estimates, observatory sensor readings, and similar information. Much of this data is estimated, forecasted, or sourced from third parties (including public agencies, forecast providers, and astronomy calculation libraries). It may be approximate, outdated, incomplete, or wrong for your exact location, time, or equipment.

No government affiliation. SKIESLIVE LLC is an independent company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of NOAA, NASA, SWPC, the U.S. National Weather Service, or other government or international agencies. Space-weather labels, Kp values, storm watches, and similar displays may be derived from public or licensed sources; official warnings and safety decisions should come from authorized government and local emergency channels.

You agree that:

  • We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any forecast, alert, chart, pass prediction, target list, or sensor reading.
  • Alerts and notifications (including geomagnetic, storm watch, ISS pass, lightning, or YouTube live notices) are informational only and may fire late, early, or not at all.
  • Our services are not a substitute for official weather services, emergency alerts, aviation or marine forecasts, or professional observatory operations.
  • You are responsible for verifying conditions with your own observations and trusted sources before traveling, observing outdoors, operating equipment, or making decisions that could affect health or safety.

Third-party data is subject to the availability and terms of those providers. When their feeds change or fail, our displays and alerts may be affected without notice.

10.2 Device sensors, compass & sky pointing

Sky maps, augmented-reality views, compass-oriented screens, and “point at the sky” features depend on your device sensors (for example magnetometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, and location). Interference, calibration, cases, mounts, and environmental conditions can make orientation inaccurate or unstable. Ephemeris and pass calculations also assume correct time, date, and observing-site coordinates. Use these tools as aids, not as precision surveying, navigation, or equipment-pointing instruments.

10.3 Live observatory feeds & sensor charts

Live telescope views, all-sky camera images, WebSocket feeds, and on-site sensor charts from our observatory (or partner sites) are provided when equipment, weather, connectivity, and staffing allow. Streams and charts may start, stop, lag, or fail without notice for maintenance, safety, cloud cover, power loss, or network issues. Historical readings may be delayed or missing. We do not guarantee continuous live coverage or real-time accuracy of on-site environmental measurements.

10.4 Telescope & equipment control

Some companion applications (including preview or future releases such as ApexHUD) may help you plan sessions or send commands to compatible mounts, telescopes, cameras, or related equipment. You are solely responsible for safe operation: verify slew paths, cables, balance, weather, dew, power, parking/unparking, meridian limits, and manufacturer instructions before and during use. Automated or remote commands can cause equipment damage, injury, or property loss if used incorrectly.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, SKIESLIVE LLC is not liable for damage to telescopes, mounts, cameras, accessories, structures, or persons arising from your use of equipment-control features, including commands delayed, misdirected, or interrupted by software bugs, network loss, or third-party drivers and protocols. Use equipment control at your own risk and maintain manual override and physical supervision appropriate to your setup.

See also our standalone Disclaimer for a short summary of these limitations.

11. Suspension & termination

You may stop using ApexASTRO at any time and may request account deletion by contacting us. We may suspend or terminate access if you violate these Terms, if required by law, if your account poses a security risk, or if we discontinue a service.

Upon termination, your right to use the services ends. Provisions that by their nature should survive (including disclaimers, limitations of liability, and dispute terms) will survive termination.

12. Disclaimers

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SKIESLIVE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that services will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free of harmful components, or that observatory feeds, membership checks, or notifications will always be accurate or timely.

13. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SKIESLIVE LLC AND ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICES.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM RELATING TO THE SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US FOR THE SERVICES IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM OR (B) US $100.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; in those cases, the above limits apply to the fullest extent permitted.

14. Indemnity

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless SKIESLIVE LLC and its officers, employees, and affiliates from claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the services, your content, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party rights or applicable law.

15. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the revised version on this page and update the effective date above. Material changes may be communicated through the website or applications. Continued use after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

16. General

  • Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and SKIESLIVE LLC regarding the services.
  • Severability. If any provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.
  • No waiver. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of our right to enforce it later.
  • Assignment. You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or asset sale.
  • Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Missouri, without regard to conflict-of-law rules, except where mandatory local consumer protection laws apply.

17. Contact

For questions about these Terms:

When contacting us, describe your question and the service you use (website account, a named companion application such as ApexSKY or ApexHUD, or Android, iOS, or Windows as applicable). We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.