Members Evening

[Fay]

Could anyone do a quick talk on how to apply FITS information to an image & can it  be useful to the imagers in the society.

Thanks

Fay

[Ian]

I'm not too sure what you're asking there Fay.

A fits file generally has image data together with a text portion with a number of mandatory and optional fields for storing pertinent information regarding the image. It is pretty much the same as the EXIF info that normal digital cameras add to JPG files.

The header (the text bit) is usually populated by the software that creates the FITS certainly in the case of MaximDL for example, and it uses values that are configured in the preferences such as instrument, location, time and co-ordinates. When you posted the FITS header in the gallery, where did that info come from? If it came from the app, and you used some sort of display FITS header option, then saving the image as a FITS should see that information added to the image. This site has a useful list of header fields, but as I say, a proper FITS file should have some of them in already.

[Rick]

...and the horse's mouth is here: http://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/fits_documentation.html

That site's the kind of barrel-of-fun which either answers all your questions or sends you away gibbering. 

[Fay]

Thanks, Ian...............dddddddddddgibbberbbbbbbbbgibbrt!

[Fay]

Good job that was sorted before members evening, Ian, I could have been shot!!!

[Mike]

I think we should arrange to shoot you anyway. It's the only humane thing to do (for us not you).

[Fay]

Thanks for your kind thoughts, Mike!

[Ian]

Fay,

think yourself lucky it's not valentines. Mike gets really soppy then...

[Fay]

I don't know about that, Ian. Have you heard of the "St. Valentines Day Massacre"?

[Fay]

Thanks to Mike, Tony & Mark for their very interesting & well presented talks, a good evening.

Fay

[Ian]

I agree. One of the best evenings we've had for a while.

Shame about the hecklers though...

[mickw]

Yep, great evening .
Thanks again to Tony, Mark and Mike, all very interesting and informative.

[JohnP]

Sorry I missed this one... Mark - did you present on Powerpoint - If so is there any chance of making your presentation available - I'd be very interested in having a look.

Cheers,  John

[Mike]

Shame you weren't there John your image of M57 was 'Image of the Month'.

[Carole]

Yes, very interesting meeting.  Thanks Tony, Mark and Mike.  It's great having a couple of evenings a year for members to present interesting topics.

I particularly enjoy ones about practical things like using equipment and software etc as this is something we can all learn from when doing our own observing/photography.

Also I like the way Mike is presenting challenges and results at the beginning and end of the month, also members images for the month, as this does encourage.  OK, so I know I got my first moon images shown this time, so I would say that. 
But I would have said it anyway - honest!

Unfortunately the evening was oversubscribed and Ken had prepared a talk and was asked to step down which is a shame. Perhaps Ken can have a slot at the next members evening.

Carole