[fitsbits] DATE-OBS versus TIME-OBS

[Arnold Rots]

Chandra uses:
	DATE-OBS= '2002-01-22T00:40:05.407'

  - Arnold

William Thompson wrote:
> 
> 
> I'd like to get some input from the FITS community about the proper use of the
> DATE-OBS keyword.  In a proposal for the FITS header for an upcoming NASA
> mission, the date and time were split up into two keywords, e.g.
> 
> 	DATE-OBS= '2002-01-22'
> 	TIME-OBS= '00:40:05.407'
> 
> I, however, argue that more modern usage would combine these into a single
> keyword, e.g.
> 
> 	DATE-OBS= '2002-01-22T00:40:05.407'
> 
> I'm told that the split format was chosen for backwards compatibility.  My own
> opinion is that it is the software which should be made backwards compatible,
> while the FITS file format should represent the most modern usage.
> 
> How are other groups handling this?
> 
> William Thompson
> _______________________________________________
> fitsbits mailing list
> fitsbits at listmgr.cv.nrao.edu
> http://listmgr.cv.nrao.edu/mailman/listinfo/fitsbits
> 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arnold H. Rots                                Chandra X-ray Science Center
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory                tel:  +1 617 496 7701
60 Garden Street, MS 81                              fax:  +1 617 495 7356
Cambridge, MA 02138                             arots at head-cfa.harvard.edu
USA                                     http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~arots/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------