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A New Compression Method for FITS TablesAs the size and number of FITS binary tables generated by astronomical observatories increases, so does the need for a more efficient compression method to reduce the amount disk space and network bandwidth required to archive and down1oad the data tables. We have developed a new compression method for FITS binary tables that is modeled after the FITS tiled-image compression compression convention that has been in use for the past decade. Tests of this new method on a sample of FITS binary tables from a variety of current missions show that on average this new compression technique saves about 50% more disk space than when simply compressing the whole FITS file with gzip. Other advantages of this method are (1) the compressed FITS table is itself a valid FITS table, (2) the FITS headers remain uncompressed, thus allowing rapid read and write access to the keyword values, and (3) in the common case where the FITS file contains multiple tables, each table is compressed separately and may be accessed without having to uncompress the whole file.
Document ID
20120013493
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Pence, William
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Seaman, Rob
(National Optical Astronomy Observatories Tucson, AZ, United States)
White, Richard L.
(Space Telescope Science Inst. Baltimore, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 26, 2013
Publication Date
November 7, 2010
Subject Category
Computer Programming And Software
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.CP.6458.2012
Meeting Information
Meeting: Astrono:nical Data Analvsis Software and Svstems.XX
Location: Boston, MA
Country: United States
Start Date: November 7, 2010
End Date: November 11, 2010
Sponsors: Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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