bschlesinger@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (Barry Schlesinger) (01/29/91)
The NASA Science Data Systems Standards Office (NSDSSO) Draft
Standard for the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) is now
available for review. This Standard has been developed by a Technical
Panel chaired by Dr. Robert J. Hanisch (Space Telescope Science
Institute). It is being developed with the goal of gaining
endorsement by the International Astronomical Union as the formal
standard for FITS. The form of the standard is not final and should
not be considered to supersede the existing FITS documentation.
The NSDSSO FITS Standard will be a formal codification of
existing FITS practices as defined in the four basic papers, the
Floating Point Agreement, and in other actions of the international
and regional FITS committees. It is not a revision.
This purpose of distributing the Draft Standard is to provide
for review and to gather comments. The Technical Panel will review
and respond to all comments.
NSDSSO wishes to have this document reviewed by as broad a
representation of the affected community as possible. The FITS Draft
Standard may be obtained electronically on either the Space Physics
Analysis Network (SPAN) via default DECnet copy commands or the
Internet via TCP/IP anonymous FTP commands. The NSSDCA computer is a
VMS/VAX 8650; therefore, filenames are case insensitive and disks and
subdirectories are indicated as: ANON_DIR:[FITS] for the disk
"ANON_DIR" and the directory "FITS". Retrieve the README. file first.
It describes the files in the FITS directory, provides more detail on
session and retrieval procedures, and explains how to register
comments with NSDSSO. NSSDCA is a member of a VMS/VAX cluster, and the
other principal node, NSSDCB, can also accept default DECnet and
anonymous FTP requests.
==========================================================================
Internet (TCP/IP) SPAN (DECnet)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV NSSDCA
Address: 128.183.10.4 6.133 (6277)
Name: NSSDCB.GSFC.NASA.GOV NSSDCB
Address: 128.183.104.11 6.866 (7010)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
== default DECnet README. copy via SPAN ==
===============================================================================
ndadsa $ copy/log nssdca::anon_dir:[fits]readme. *
%COPY-S-COPIED, NSSDCA::ANON_DIR:[FITS]README.;1 copied to
DISKA":[MEV]README.;2 (1 block)
===============================================================================
== Anonymous FTP README. copy via Internet ==
===============================================================================
ndadsa $ ftp nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov
NDADSA.GSFC.NASA.GOV MultiNet FTP user process 2.2(100)
Connection opened (Assuming 8-bit connections)
<NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV MultiNet FTP Server Process 2.2(11) at Mon 24-Dec-90 9:17AM-EST
NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV>user anonymous
<anonymous user ok. Send real ident as password.
Password: MEV@NDADSA.GSFC.NASA.GOV
<Guest User MEV@NDADSA.GSFC.NASA.GOV logged into ANON_DIR:[000000] at Mon 24-Dec-90 09:17, job 202003a1.
<Directory and access restrictions apply
NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV>cd anon_dir:[fits]
<Connected to ANON_DIR:[FITS].
NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV>get readme.;1 readme.
<VMS retrieve of ANON_DIR:[FITS]README.;1 started.
<Transfer completed. 316 (8) bytes transferred.
NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV>quit
<QUIT command received. Goodbye.
=====================================================================
To obtain paper copies or to have a copy electronically
mailed, send requests to NSDSSO.
Surface mail: NASA Science Data Systems Standards Office
Code 933
Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt MD 20771
Electronic Mail:
(SPAN) NCF::NSDSSO
(Internet) nsdsso@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov
Telephone: (301) 286-3575
(7:30 A.M.-4 P.M., Eastern Time)
Telephone requests also can be made to the FITS Support Office at
(301) 794-4246, where a machine will take messages if no one is in.
Instructions on where to send comments will be in the README.
file of the anonymous ftp directory or the cover letter accompanying a
paper or electronic copy. Comments should not be posted to the net.
All comments must be received by 26 February 1991 to be assured of
consideration by the Technical Panel.
Barry M. Schlesinger
FITS Support Office