FITS
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FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) is a standard file format widely used in astronomy for storing, transmitting, and processing astronomical data. It was developed in the late 1970s and has since become the de facto standard in the field. FITS files can contain various types of data, including images, spectra, and tables, along with associated metadata. The format is designed to be flexible, allowing astronomers to store and exchange data in a standardized manner while accommodating the diverse range of information collected from different instruments and observations. FITS files processed by Phoranso store astronomical images, which are typically multi-dimensional arrays representing intensity values captured by CCD or CMOS imaging instruments. The format supports various data types, including integer and floating-point values, as well as different data compression and data organization schemes. One of the key features of FITS is its ability to store detailed metadata, including information about the observation, instrument configuration, and calibration data. This metadata allows astronomers to accurately interpret and analyze the data contained in the FITS file. The FITS header is a section at the beginning of a FITS file that contains a series of records, each consisting of a keyword-value pair. The keyword indicates the type of information and the corresponding value provides the actual data. Each keyword has a defined meaning and serves as a reference to access a particular piece of metadata. Examples of common FITS keywords include "SIMPLE" (indicating if the file adheres to the FITS standard), "BITPIX" (the number of bits per pixel), "NAXIS" (the number of dimensions in the data array), and "EXPTIME" (the exposure time of the observation). Values are the data associated with each keyword in the FITS header. They provide specific information corresponding to the keyword. For example, the value of the "EXPTIME" keyword could be "600.0" indicating an exposure time of 600 seconds.
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