[fitsbits] Status of New FITS Standard

[William Pence]

This is an update on the status of the proposed new Standard document 
that precisely defines the required format for FITS data files.   A 
draft of the proposed new version 3.0 of the document was prepared by a 
technical panel appointed by the IAU FITS Working Group (IAU FWG) .  
This draft was made available for public comment from July through 
October 2007.   The technical panel then produced a second draft, 
version 3.0a, in response to the public comments.  This latest draft, as 
well as a summary of the public comments and the technical panel's 
response, is available at http://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/fits_draft.html.

Earlier this week the 4 regional FITS committees that advise the IAU FWG 
(North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand) were asked to 
review and vote on this proposed new Standard document by mid-January 
2008.  Assuming that the regional committees generally endorse the 
proposed changes, the IAU FWG will then conduct a final review and vote 
on whether or not to accept it as the new FITS Standard.

If you have any further comments about the proposed changes to the FITS 
Standard document or have suggestions for improving the document, please 
post them here on the FITSBITS email list (or linked sci.astro.fits 
newsgroup).  Alternatively, you may send the comments to me or any other 
IAU FWG member.  The IAU FWG will then consider all the comments during 
it's final review of the document.

Bill Pence
(on behalf of the IAU FWG)
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____________________________________________________________________
Dr. William Pence                       pence at milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov
NASA/GSFC Code 662       HEASARC        +1-301-286-4599 (voice)
Greenbelt MD 20771                      +1-301-286-1684 (fax)