Advanced Scientific Data Format

ASDF
Advanced Scientific Data Format
Magic number #ASDF
Initial release September 19, 2015 (2015-09-19)
Type of format scientific data
Contained by YAML
Extended from FITS
Website asdf-standard.readthedocs.io

Advanced Scientific Data Format is a proposed[1] replacement to the FITS standard for astronomical images and other astronomical data. The metadata is contained in a YAML header followed by binary or ASCII data.

Improvements to FITS

The Flexible Image Transport System FITS standard[2] is a widely used data format in astronomy that incorporates metadata and ascii or binary data in the same file. However, the FITS standard has several limitations that make it difficult to use for complicated and hierarchical data. For example, the FITS 'cards' have keywords limited to only 8 characters, which can make it difficult to properly describe the value associated with it and the value for each keyword and its comment cannot be longer than 68 characters.[1] By using YAML, more sophisticated and nested data structures may be used in ASDF than FITS.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Greenfield, P.; Droettboom, M.; Bray, E. (2015). "ASDF: A new data format for astronomy". Astronomy and Computing. 12: 240–251. Bibcode:2015A&C....12..240G. doi:10.1016/j.ascom.2015.06.004.
  2. ↑ Wells, D. C.; Greisen, E. W.; Harten, R. H. (June 1981). "FITS: A Flexible Image Transport System". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 44: 363–370. Bibcode:1981A&AS...44..363W.


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