From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Tue Jul 13 10:10:33 1993 Message-Id: <930713100743.2261a8b4@NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Reply-To: From: "BARRY M. SCHLESINGER" Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: NOST FITS Definition approved as NOST Standard Date: Tue, 13 Jul 93 09:56:37 -0400 The NSSDC's NASA/Science Office of Standards and Technology (NOST) has completed development of a formal definition of the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) for the transfer of information, in support of the astronomical community. The standard was developed to provide a document that would remove contradictions and resolve ambiguities present in the four papers and Floating Point Agreement endorsed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as the basis for FITS, one that NASA projects and other researchers could use to design data sets in conformance to FITS. Working under NOST procedures, a FITS Technical Panel composed of astronomers and chaired by American Astronomical Society Working Group on Astronomical Software Chair R. J. Hanisch (STScI) developed a draft standard. In order to ensure that this standard accurately represented FITS as accepted by the astronomical community, there were three review cycles. In each cycle, the opportunity to review the standard was widely publicized throughout the astronomical community, with particular care taken to notify the international and regional FITS Committees. When the two-month review period was completed, the Panel reviewed the comments, revised the draft standard, and provided detailed replies to all reviewers explaining its action on each point. When the review process was complete, the Technical Panel proposed the standard to the NOST FITS Accreditation Panel for acceptance as a NOST standard. The Accreditation Panel, composed of the NOST executive board and an outside member from the astrophysics community, reviewed the process followed by the Technical Panel and their handling of reviewer comments. Approval of the NOST "Definition of the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS)" was unanimous and an outstanding effort by the Technical Panel was noted. This standard will now be submitted to the IAU FITS Working Group for endorsement as the international standard for FITS. Approval is believed likely. The NOST Standard, like the drafts before it, is available by anonymous ftp from nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov, or by DECnet copy from NSSDCA, in the directory FITS, in LaTeX, PostScript, and flat ASCII forms. Get the AAREADME.DOC file for details. (Note: as of this writing, the LaTeX and flat ASCII versions of the approved standard are available. The PostScript version is still in production. The proposed and adopted standards can be distinguished by the date; the final standard is dated June 18, 1993. The only change in content is that adopted standard contains the new name for the NOST.) Printed copies can be obtained from the NOST Librarian, who can be reached as follows: (Postal) NASA/Science Office of Standards and Technology Code 633.2 Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD 20771 USA (Internet) nost@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (DECnet) NCF::NOST Telephone: +1-301-286-3575 8 a. m. - 5 p. m., U. S. Eastern Time If the Librarian is unavailable, a phone mail system takes the call after four rings. If you have additional questions, the FITS office can be reached by electronic mail at the address below. for Donald Sawyer, NOST Secretary Barry M. Schlesinger Coordinator, FITS Support Office Secretary, Technical Panel. +1-301-513-1634 fits@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov NCF::FITS