Format
Flexible Image Transport System
Summary
- Name
- Flexible Image Transport System
- Identifiers
-
- MIME: image/fits
- PUID: x-fmt/383
- Format type
- Image (Raster)
- Description
- Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) is an open standard defining a digital file format useful for storage, transmission and processing of data: formatted as multi-dimensional arrays (for example a 2D image), or tables. FITS is the most commonly used digital file format in astronomy. The FITS standard was designed specifically for astronomical data, and includes provisions such as describing photometric and spatial calibration information, together with image origin metadata. The FITS format was first standardized in 1981; it has evolved gradually since then, and the most recent version (4.0) was standardized in 2016. FITS was designed with an eye towards long-term archival storage, and the maxim once FITS, always FITS represents the requirement that developments to the format must be backward compatible.
- File extensions
-
fits - Source
- Digital Preservation Department / The National Archives
Internal signatures
FITS
- Note
- Header (SIMPLE, BITPIX and NAXIS card images)
Byte sequences
- Min Frag Length
- Absolute from BOF
- Offset
- 0
- Max offset
- None
- Byte Sequence
53494D504C4520203D202020202020202020202020202020202020202054{50}42495450495820203D{19}(2038|2B38|3038|3136|3332|3634){50}4E415849532020203D- Endianness
- None
Changelog
-
Updated in V120
- Release date
- 25 February 2025
Flexible Image Transport System: New description added as part of PRONOM Research Week 2024. Submitted by Brigham Young University.