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FITS - Flexible Image Transport System

FITS is an image data file format for encoding astronomical data. The WCS (World Coordinate System) conventions map elements in data arrays to standard physical coordinates in the sky. FITS has provisions for image metadata encoded in an ASCII header at the beginning of files.

Status
In July 2008, the IAU FITS Working Group offically approved the new 3.0 version of the FITS Standard document.
Sponsor

IAU FITS Working Group
Specification

http://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/fits_standard.html
Standard's website
http://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/fits_standard.html

Extensions

FITS World Coordinate System (WCS)

An extension of FITS that enables data to be defined to specify physical, or world coordinates within each pixel in an image. The conventions were orignally proposed in 2002 then incorporated into the 3.0 release of the FITS standard.

Tools

FITS Image Software Packages
Software packages that display or manipulate the relatively simple class of FITS data files that containing 2-dimensional images

Use Cases

BAV - Biblioteca Apoltolica Vaticana

The Vatican Library uses FITS as the digital image format for the digitization of its manuscript collection.

ESA - European Space Agency

ESA is an international organisation with 20 Member States that coordinates the financial and intellectual resources of it's members to facilitate space related programmes and activities. Image data is released using FITS for many missions.

HEASARC

The High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) is the primary archive for NASA's (and other space agencies') missions dealing with electromagnetic radiation from extremely energetic phenomena ranging from black holes to the Big Bang.

IVOA - International Virtual Observatory Alliance

The International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) is an organisation that debates and agrees to technical standards that are needed to make the Virtual Observatory possible. FITS is one of those standards.

JAXA - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Japan's independent administrative institution that handles research and development in space and aviation areas.

STEREO Science Center

Archive for STEREO telemetry, mission support data, and higher level instrument data and analysis software.

Virtual Solar Observatory