[fitsbits] FITS status ? {External}

[Seaman, Robert Lewis - (rseaman)]

Hi Paul and all,

Note that all compression methods have trade-offs, and a single algorithm is not best for all purposes. FITS tile compression supports multiple options for exactly that reason. The default is likely to remain Rice, though we are considering some separate improvements there, as well.

Start at https://jpeg.org/jpegxl/

Thanks for replying quickly. If folks have objections to JPEG-XL, they should speak up.

Rob



On 5/28/25, 3:46 PM, "fitsbits" wrote:


________________________________
First, where can I find a JPEG XL library or even better, the standard? I'd preferably like to have a Julia implementation of the standard for performance. It would enable me to easily use GPUs, when available.

Second, I have just registered FITSFiles.jl v0.2 with the Julia general registry. It should be available in a day or two. This version provides basic read/write functionality for uncompressed HDUs. The compressed HDUs still need the code/decode functions implemented.

Third, I still fall under category A, obviously. To do B, you need money and resources and that currently does not look promising.

Cheers,
Paul

On Wed, May 28, 2025 at 6:19 PM Seaman, Robert Lewis - (rseaman) via fitsbits <fitsbits at listmgr.nrao.edu<mailto:fitsbits at listmgr.nrao.edu>> wrote:
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<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:

o  the upcoming ADASSx Summer Workshop, August 1-5, 2025, following the Rubin Community Workshop in Tucson (https://catalina.lpl.arizona.edu/adassx-2025)

o  and/or the regular ADASS XXXV, November 9-13, Görlitz, Germany (website soon)

o  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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--
Paul Barrett, PhD
Department of Physics
The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052

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