Account Registration and Sign-In
This page explains how to register a Nucleus account, sign in to the ZODIAC Observatory, complete the ZODIAC profile form, and manage basic profile settings.
ZODIAC uses Nucleus/WebSSO for authentication where enabled. Users first create or use a Nucleus account, then sign in to ZODIAC and complete the required ZODIAC profile information inside the platform.
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. Other fields are optional and should be completed only if applicable.
1. Start from the ZODIAC sign-in page
- Open the ZODIAC Observatory.
- Click Sign In in the top navigation bar.
- Choose the NUCLEUS sign-in option if Nucleus/WebSSO is enabled.
- You will be redirected to the Nucleus/WebSSO sign-in page.
If you already have an active Nucleus account, enter your Nucleus username and password and continue signing in. If you do not have a Nucleus account yet, use the Register link on the Nucleus/WebSSO page.
The local ZODIAC sign-in form should only be used if you have been explicitly provided with a local ZODIAC account. Most users should sign in using Nucleus.
2. Register a Nucleus account
If you do not yet have a Nucleus account, click Register on the Nucleus/WebSSO page and complete the Nucleus registration form.
- Complete all required fields marked with an asterisk (*), such as username, email address, password, name, country, secret question, CAPTCHA, and acceptance of the Nucleus terms.
- Optional fields, such as institution, address, phone, or fax, can be completed if applicable.
- Submit the registration form.
After submitting the form, Nucleus displays a registration confirmation message and sends an activation email to the email address used during registration.
The Nucleus username and email address are managed by Nucleus. They are not edited directly in ZODIAC.
3. Activate the Nucleus account
- Open the activation email sent by Nucleus.
- Click the activation link in the email.
- Nucleus will confirm that the account has been activated successfully.
The activation link activates the Nucleus account only. It does not automatically redirect the user back to the ZODIAC Observatory.
After activation, return to the ZODIAC Observatory and start the sign-in process again from the ZODIAC Sign In button.
If you do not receive the activation email, check your spam or junk folder first. If the problem continues, use the Nucleus support or account recovery options.
4. Sign in to ZODIAC after Nucleus activation
- Return to the ZODIAC Observatory.
- Click Sign In again.
- Choose the NUCLEUS sign-in option.
- Enter the activated Nucleus username and password.
- Continue the sign-in process.
After successful Nucleus sign-in, ZODIAC may ask you to complete the local ZODIAC profile form before you can continue using the platform.
5. Complete the ZODIAC profile form
After signing in with Nucleus for the first time, ZODIAC may display a local profile form. This step creates or completes your ZODIAC user profile.
- Review the pre-filled Nucleus account details, such as username and email.
- Complete all required ZODIAC fields marked with an asterisk (*), such as name, institution, location, notification preference, and acceptance of the Data Protection and Privacy Statement where required.
- Optional fields, such as department, website, newsletter preference, or profile details, can be completed if applicable.
- Click Sign Up to complete the ZODIAC profile setup.
Completing the ZODIAC profile does not create or update the Nucleus account. It only creates or updates the local ZODIAC profile used for platform access, permissions, notifications, and project-related information.
6. Activate two-factor authentication, if required
After completing the ZODIAC profile form, the platform may ask you to activate two-factor authentication before you can continue.
- Open an authenticator app on your phone or computer.
- Scan the QR code shown by ZODIAC, or manually enter the authenticator secret.
- Enter the current authenticator code in ZODIAC.
- Save any recovery codes in a safe place.
For detailed instructions, see: Activating two-factor authentication (2FA) .
7. Sign in later with two-factor authentication
After two-factor authentication is activated, future sign-ins may require an authenticator code after the Nucleus/ZODIAC sign-in step.
- Sign in from the ZODIAC Sign In button.
- Complete the Nucleus/WebSSO sign-in step.
- When ZODIAC asks for a two-factor authentication code, open your authenticator app.
- Enter the current code and click Sign In.
8. Access your profile
After successful sign-in, the user menu is available in the top-right corner of the ZODIAC platform.
- Open the user menu in the top-right corner.
- Click Your Profile.
- Your profile page shows your name, username, institution, location, statistics, and available profile actions.
Depending on your account status and permissions, the profile page may include actions such as Edit Profile, MFA Settings, or Manage API Tokens.
9. Edit your ZODIAC profile
Users can update local ZODIAC profile information where permitted.
- Sign in to the ZODIAC Observatory.
- Open the user menu in the top-right corner.
- Click Your Profile.
- Click Edit Profile.
- Update editable fields, such as name, profile image, institution, department, location, website, display preferences, notification email choice, or newsletter preference.
- Click Save changes.
Nucleus-managed account fields, such as the Nucleus username and email address, are not edited in the ZODIAC profile form. If those details are incorrect, use the appropriate Nucleus account support process.
10. Account access and support
- If you cannot sign in with Nucleus, use the Nucleus password recovery or account support options.
- If your Nucleus account works but you cannot access ZODIAC, contact the ZODIAC platform support or administrator team.
- If you lose access to your authenticator app, use your recovery codes if available. Otherwise, contact the ZODIAC platform support or administrator team.