A fits file extension is associated with the Flexible Image Transport System a standard format for astronomy images. Ae fits file stores picture image.

Detailed description

Software that open fits file

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FITS file extension - Flexible Image Transport System

What is fits file? How to open fits files?

File type specification:

Graphics file type icon Graphics file type

The fits file extension is used for Flexible Image Transport System format, a most commonly used standard format for images used in astronomy. Historically, magnetic tape was the original storage medium for FITS formats.

FITS is a digital file format used to store, transmit, and manipulate scientific and other images, specially in Astronomy. A major feature of the FITS format is that image metadata is stored in a human-readable ASCII header, so that an interested user can examine the headers to investigate a file of unknown provenance.

FITS is also often used to store non-image data, such as spectra, photon lists, data cubes, or even structured data such as multi-table databases. A FITS file may contain several extensions, and each of these may contain a data object. For example, it is possible to store x-ray and infrared exposures in the same file.

This file format also sometimes uses FTS file extension or FIT file extension.

Updated: April 4, 2024

The default software associated to open fits file:

XnView MP icon

Pierre-Emmanuel Gougelet logoXnView MP  Multiplatform software

Company or developer:
Pierre-Emmanuel Gougelet

A free (for non-commercial purposes) powerful cross-platform media browser, viewer and converter. Compatible with more than 500 formats and also supports export to 70 different file formats. It works on Windows, Linux and macOS (OS X).

Help how to open:

There are also some specialized FITS viewers that can open .fits files.

Some image viewers such as GIMP, Photoshop, XnView and IrfanView can generally read simple *.fits images, however are not able to interpret more complex files.

How to convert:

Specialized viewers AVIS - FITS Viewer can convert .fits images to common bitmap files.

Find conversions from fits file:

fits to bmp

fits to fit

fits to fts

fits to jpeg

fits to jpg

fits to pdf

fits to tiff

Find converter to fits file type:

fit to fits

fts to fits

png to fits

List of software applications associated to the .fits file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open fits file, edit fits file, convert fits file, view fits file, play fits file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting fits files.

Software that open fits file - Flexible Image Transport System

Programs supporting the exension fits on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about AVIS - FITS Viewer for open fits file action.

Microsoft Windows:

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