[fitsbits] Proposed Changes to the FITS Standard

[William Pence]

This is a final call to submit any comments or concerns you may have
about the proposed changes to the FITS Standard format definition
document.  The public comment period on these proposed changes will
officially close on Monday 22 October 2007.  Shortly thereafter, the
FITS technical panel will review the comments and will produce a revised
document that addresses the issues that were raised.  This document will
then eventually be submitted to the 4 regional FITS committees and the
IAU FITS Working Group for final review and approval.

The proposed changes are described in 3 documents that are available
from the FITS Support Office web site at http://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov:

1.  A short (9 page) summary of the main recommendations.

2.  A color coded "differences" document (137 pages) that shows
      most of the changes in detail.

3.  A draft of the new Standard document (version 3.0, 125 pages) as
      it would appear if all these changes are accepted.


Please post any comments, suggestions, or concerns regarding these
proposals (or any other suggestions for improving the Standard document)
here on the FITSBITS email list, or on the associated sci.astro.fits
newsgroup.   Comments may also be submitted to any member of the FITS
technical panel that produced these recommendations (listed below).

The FITS Technical Panel,

    William D. Pence (Chair), NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center
    Lucio Chiappetti, IASF Milano, INAF, Italy
    Clive G. Page, University of Leicester, UK
    Richard Shaw, National Optical Astronomical Obs
    Elizabeth Stobie, University of Arizona
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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)