FITS Image (.fits)
A minimal but valid FITS image — a primary header of 80-character cards padded to a 2880-byte block, followed by a 16x16 unsigned-byte pixel gradient — for testing FITS readers and header-card parsers.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| SIMPLE | T (conforms to FITS) |
| BITPIX | 8 (unsigned bytes) |
| NAXIS | 2 |
| NAXIS1 x NAXIS2 | 16 x 16 |
| OBJECT | Sample Gradient |
| TELESCOP | NOVUS-SIM |
Specifications
- Format
- FITS
- Image
- 16x16
- Bitpix
- 8
- Block Size
- 2880
- Object
- Sample Gradient
What is a .fits file?
FITS (.fits, Flexible Image Transport System) is the standard binary format in astronomy. It pairs human-readable 80-character header cards (in 2880-byte blocks) with binary image or table data, storing pixel arrays, coordinates, and instrument metadata. It has been the astronomical archive format for decades.
How to use this file
Use an example .fits file to test FITS readers (astropy, CFITSIO, DS9), header-card parsing, and image or table extraction, or to verify block-alignment handling.
Related files
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- ncNetCDF Gridded Data (.nc)A NetCDF-3 (classic) file holding a small CF-convention gridded temperature field over latitude, longitude, and time, with named dimensions and units — for testing NetCDF readers like netCDF4 and xarray.
- pdbPDB Structure — Water (.pdb)The same water molecule in PDB format with fixed-column HETATM coordinate records and a CONECT bond record — for testing molecular-structure parsers and viewers and PDB/MOL conversion.
- risRIS Citations (.ris)The same three references as an RIS citation file with two-letter tags and ER record terminators — the twin of the BibTeX file, for testing RIS import and BibTeX/RIS conversion.
- csv10,000-Row CSVA CSV with 10,000 data rows — for testing streaming parsers, memory handling, and import performance.
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