[fitsbits] FITS status ? {External}

[Seaman, Robert Lewis - (rseaman)]

Hello FITS folks,

I circulated a thread a couple of weeks ago about a proposed small addition to the allowed values for ZCMPTYPE to include “JPEGXL”. There are some other small details, but it isn’t much more complicated than that, and incrementing the standard (https://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/fits_standard.html) to version 4.01. Support in astropy and CFITSIO is in the works.

Since then, I’ve contacted the latest two IAU FITS WG chairs, who are both now retired. The more basic logistical questions are A) who remains engaged from the old days in FITS as a standard, and B) how to navigate a transition to early (well, earlier) career astronomical software professionals.

Action items:

  *   Please respond to this ping if you fall under category A
  *   Please make suggestions about how to do B
  *   Please consider participating in either:
     *   the upcoming ADASSx Summer Workshop, August 1-5, 2025, following the Rubin Community Workshop in Tucson (https://catalina.lpl.arizona.edu/adassx-2025)
     *   and/or the regular ADASS XXXV, November 9-13, Görlitz, Germany (website soon)
     *   and perhaps even submit FITS-related abstracts!

FITS governance may need refreshing, but FITS as a day-to-day standard in astronomy continues strong.

Rob Seaman
Catalina Sky Survey
University of Arizona
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