Astro-TIFF ========== In 2022, Han Kleijn, developer of the `ASTAP software `_, offered to contribute to the development of a new pseudo-standard using the TIFF format and taking advantage of the power of FITS file headers. This is how the `Astro-TIFF `_ format was born. Why a new standard among all the others? **************************************** Currently, the most used format for astrophotography is the FITS format. This one, developed by professional scientists, meets all the expectations of amateurs. And although its great flexibility causes some concerns of compatibility it remains the format to be preferred. Other specialized formats exist but are usually associated with a specific software. Like the XISF format developed by the PixInsight team. This last format, although often requested in Siril, is a format dedicated to PixInsight, a proprietary software. So the interest in developing compatibility with Siril is minimal, and we've only done it for reading in the 1.4.x cyle. Developing Astro-TIFF appears then as a good alternative, because based on the TIFF format, it is possible to open the files on any image processing software. Finally, the TIFF format supports compression (as does the FITS format) which allows for smaller image sizes. Specification 1.0 ***************** .. rubric:: Dated 2022-06-21 * Files are following the TIFF 6.0 specification including supplement 2 fully. * The FITS header is written to the TIFF baseline tag **Image Description**. Code 270, Hex 010E. * The header is following the FITS specification except that that the lines can be shorter then 80 characters and lines are ending with either CR+LF (0D0A) or LF (0A). * First line in the description is the first header line and starts with ``SIMPLE``. The last line of the header starts with ``END``. .. rubric:: Recommendations * ``TIFFtag_orientation=1`` (left-top) Orientation is following the conventions. Pixel ``FITS_image[1,1]`` is left-bottom. ``TIFF_image[0,0]`` is left-top. These pixels are first written or read from the file. So when writing a FITS image into TIFF preserving the orientation for the user, the first pixel to write is ``FITS_image[1,NAXIS2]``. * ``TIFFtag_compression=8`` (Deflate) or 5 (LZW). * For greyscale images ``TIFFtag_PhotometricInterpretation = 1`` (minimum value is black, maximum is white). * Write all available header keywords. .. admonition:: Notes * This use of TIFF format is intended for 16-bit lights, darks, flats and flat-darks (astronomical images), but can also be used in the 32-bit format. It is possible to convert FITS to TIFF and backwards but the application programmer can decide to export only (write) or only import (read) in Astro-TIFF format. * If an astrometrical (plate) solution is included then it should match with the image orientation. * Some header keywords are redundant like ``NAXIS1``, ``NAXIS2``, ``BZERO`` and ``BITPIX`` and are not required. TIFF image dimensions and type are leading. * The de-mosaic pattern specified in the header should match with the image orientation. * The header will be visible in many image manipulation programs. Example of an Astro-TIFF header that looks just like a FITS file header: .. code-block:: text SIMPLE = T / file does conform to FITS standard BITPIX = -32 / number of bits per data pixel NAXIS = 2 / number of data axes NAXIS1 = 6248 / length of data axis 1 NAXIS2 = 4176 / length of data axis 2 NAXIS3 = 1 / length of data axis 3 EXTEND = T / FITS dataset may contain extensions COMMENT FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) format is defined in 'Astronomy COMMENT and Astrophysics', volume 376, page 359; bibcode: 2001A&A...376..359H BZERO = 0 / offset data range to that of unsigned short BSCALE = 1 / default scaling factor DATE = '2022-12-14T16:05:47' / UTC date that FITS file was created DATE-OBS= '2022-05-06T20:29:20.019000' / YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss observation start, INSTRUME= 'ZWO CCD ASI2600MM Pro' / instrument name OBSERVER= 'Unknown ' / observer name TELESCOP= 'iOptron ZEQ25' / telescope used to acquire this image ROWORDER= 'TOP-DOWN' / Order of the rows in image array XPIXSZ = 3.76 / X pixel size microns YPIXSZ = 3.76 / Y pixel size microns XBINNING= 1 / Camera binning mode YBINNING= 1 / Camera binning mode FOCALLEN= 370.092 / Camera focal length CCD-TEMP= -9.8 / CCD temp in C EXPTIME = 120 / Exposure time [s] STACKCNT= 126 / Stack frames LIVETIME= 15120 / Exposure time after deadtime correction FILTER = 'Lum ' / Active filter name IMAGETYP= 'Light Frame' / Type of image OBJECT = 'Unknown ' / Name of the object of interest GAIN = 100 / Camera gain OFFSET = 50 / Camera offset CTYPE1 = 'RA---TAN' / Coordinate type for the first axis CTYPE2 = 'DEC--TAN' / Coordinate type for the second axis CUNIT1 = 'deg ' / Unit of coordinates CUNIT2 = 'deg ' / Unit of coordinates EQUINOX = 2000 / Equatorial equinox OBJCTRA = '09 39 54.932' / Image center Right Ascension (hms) OBJCTDEC= '+70 00 10.118' / Image center Declination (dms) RA = 144.979 / Image center Right Ascension (deg) DEC = 70.0028 / Image center Declination (deg) CRPIX1 = 3123.5 / Axis1 reference pixel CRPIX2 = 2088.5 / Axis2 reference pixel CRVAL1 = 144.979 / Axis1 reference value (deg) CRVAL2 = 70.0028 / Axis2 reference value (deg) CD1_1 = -0.000580606 / Scale matrix (1, 1) CD1_2 = -4.12215e-05 / Scale matrix (1, 2) CD2_1 = -4.11673e-05 / Scale matrix (2, 1) CD2_2 = 0.000580681 / Scale matrix (2, 2) PLTSOLVD= T / Siril internal solve HISTORY Background extraction (Correction: Subtraction) HISTORY Plate Solve END Saving Astro-TIFF in Siril ************************** In Siril you can save Astro-TIFF files by choosing the TIFF format in the save dialog when you click on :guilabel:`Save As`. The drop-down list in the TIFF dialog allows you to choose between saving in standard TIFF format or in Astro-TIFF format. The latter is the default format. .. figure:: ../_images/Astro-TIFF/Astro-TIFF_save_dialog.png :alt: Astro-TIFF dialog :class: with-shadow Save Dialog with Astro-TIFF option .. admonition:: Siril command line :class: sirilcommand .. include:: ../commands/savetif_use.rst .. include:: ../commands/savetif.rst Sample files ************ * `Astro-TIFF file created by Siril `_ (32-bit, uncompressed). * `Astro-TIFF file created by Siril `__ (32-bit, compressed).