Subject: NOST FITS Definition approved as NOST Standard

From: "BARRY M. SCHLESINGER" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 93 09:56:37 -0400

The NSSDC's NASA/Science Office of Standards and Technology (NOST) has
completed development of a formal definition of the Flexible Image
Transport System (FITS) for the transfer of information, in support of
the astronomical community.  The standard was developed to provide a
document that would remove contradictions and resolve ambiguities
present in the four papers and Floating Point Agreement endorsed by
the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as the basis for FITS, one
that NASA projects and other researchers could use to design data sets
in conformance to FITS. 

Working under NOST procedures, a FITS Technical Panel composed of
astronomers and chaired by American Astronomical Society Working Group
on Astronomical Software Chair R. J. Hanisch (STScI) developed a draft
standard.  In order to ensure that this standard accurately
represented FITS as accepted by the astronomical community, there were
three review cycles.  In each cycle, the opportunity to review the
standard was widely publicized throughout the astronomical community,
with particular care taken to notify the international and regional
FITS Committees.  When the two-month review period was completed, the
Panel reviewed the comments, revised the draft standard, and provided
detailed replies to all reviewers explaining its action on each point.

When the review process was complete, the Technical Panel proposed the
standard to the NOST FITS Accreditation Panel for acceptance as a NOST
standard.  The Accreditation Panel, composed of the NOST executive
board and an outside member from the astrophysics community, reviewed
the process followed by the Technical Panel and their handling of
reviewer comments.  Approval of the NOST "Definition of the Flexible
Image Transport System (FITS)" was unanimous and an outstanding effort
by the Technical Panel was noted.  This standard will now be submitted
to the IAU FITS Working Group for endorsement as the international
standard for FITS.  Approval is believed likely.

The NOST Standard, like the drafts before it, is available by 
anonymous ftp from nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov, or by DECnet copy from 
NSSDCA, in the directory FITS, in LaTeX, PostScript, and flat ASCII 
forms.  Get the AAREADME.DOC file for details.

(Note: as of this writing, the LaTeX and flat ASCII versions of the 
approved standard are available.  The PostScript version is still in 
production.  The proposed and adopted standards can be distinguished 
by the date; the final standard is dated June 18, 1993.  The only 
change in content is that adopted standard contains the new name for 
the NOST.)

Printed copies can be obtained from the NOST Librarian, who can be
reached as follows: 

(Postal) NASA/Science Office of Standards and Technology
	 Code 633.2
	 Goddard Space Flight Center
	 Greenbelt MD 20771
	 USA
 
(Internet) [email-masked]
(DECnet) NCF::NOST

Telephone: +1-301-286-3575 8 a. m. - 5 p. m., U. S. Eastern Time

If the Librarian is unavailable, a phone mail system takes the call
after four rings. 

If you have additional questions, the FITS office can be reached by
electronic mail at the address below. 

				for Donald Sawyer, NOST Secretary 

				Barry M. Schlesinger
				Coordinator, FITS Support Office
				Secretary, Technical Panel.

+1-301-513-1634				[email-masked]
					NCF::FITS