Astronomical Data Formats: What we have and how we got here

TL;DR

This paper reviews the evolution of astronomical data formats, emphasizing the importance of standardization and describing how formats like FITS have developed to facilitate data acquisition, processing, and archiving.

Contribution

It provides a historical overview of astronomical data formats and discusses the development and advantages of standards like FITS.

Findings

Evolution of data formats improves data interoperability.

Standardization facilitates data sharing and processing.

FITS has evolved to include comprehensive coordinate systems.

Abstract

Despite almost all being acquired as photons, astronomical data from different instruments and at different stages in its life may exist in different formats to serve different purposes. Beyond the data itself, descriptive information is associated with it as metadata, either included in the data format or in a larger multi-format data structure. Those formats may be used for the acquisition, processing, exchange, and archiving of data. It has been useful to use similar formats, or even a single standard to ease interaction with data in its various stages using familiar tools. Knowledge of the evolution and advantages of present standards is useful before we discuss the future of how astronomical data is formatted. The evolution of the use of world coordinates in FITS is presented as an example.