On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 00:35:43 -0600, jerry warner
wrote:

Thanks for replying Chris. I have no working knowledge of
fits files. Im trying to get v-spec running. V-spec requires fits
image files. I need to convert jpegs and bmp files into FITS -
somehow. I downloaded a converter from NASA but it asks
for two file pathways? I dont even know where to begin.

I don't know what converter you are using. I'd guess that the two paths
it's asking for are the source file and the destination file. So if you
have a source IMG.BMP, the converter probably expects something like
CONVERT IMG.BMP IMG.FITS.


Everyone here avoids these issues by using canned software
like aip4.win ? which evidently can convert files formats at will.

Quite a few astronomical imaging apps can convert between formats.
Converting from JPEG to FITS is not common, since JPEG files are fairly
useless for any sort of analysis, and that's usually why you want FITS.
If you intend to do analysis, you should try to avoid JPEG files. BMPs
are better, but they are only 8-bit (or 8-bit per color channel), which
is often very limiting. Something with more bits is better. Are you
using a digicam of some sort? If it has RAW, that is often 10-12 bits.

FITS is generally the native file format for astronomical cameras, or
for astronomical software that interfaces with cameras.

If you have Photoshop, you could download a free plugin that lets you
save in FITS format, so you could use that for conversion. Another
option is IRIS, http://www.astrosurf.com/buil/us/iris/iris.htm . This is
a powerful image processing program, although it's hard to use (careful,
it has a retarded installer that will try to place the program in your
root directory). But it can read JPEGs and BMPs and write FITS.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com