FTS to RGB Converter

Convert astronomical FTS images to RGB format online

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No Install Needed

The converter runs entirely in your browser — no desktop software required. Works on all major platforms and devices alike.

Fast Turnaround

Most FTS to RGB conversions complete in seconds. Cloud infrastructure handles the processing quickly so you spend less time waiting.

Universal Access

Convert niche FTS data into standard RGB that opens on any device. Bridge the gap between specialized and mainstream formats effortlessly.

How to convert FTS to RGB

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose rgb or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your rgb file right afterwards

About formats

FTS is a file extension for the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS), the standard data format used in astronomy since 1981 when it was defined by Don Wells, Eric Greisen, and R.H. Harten at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and subsequently endorsed by the International Astronomical Union in 1982. FITS was designed from the outset as a self-describing archival format: each file begins with one or more 2880-byte header blocks containing ASCII keyword-value pairs that describe the data's dimensions, coordinate system, observation parameters, and provenance, followed by data blocks in a variety of numeric types — 8/16/32/64-bit integers and 32/64-bit IEEE floating-point values. FITS supports multi-dimensional arrays (images, data cubes, hypercubes), binary tables for catalog data, and ASCII tables, with multiple Header/Data Units (HDUs) that can coexist in a single file. The format handles specialized astronomical data: spectral cubes, radio interferometry visibilities, multi-extension mosaic images from CCD arrays, and time-series photometry. One advantage is scientific rigor: FITS mandates that all metadata needed to interpret the data physically — coordinate transformations (WCS), photometric calibration, telescope and instrument parameters — travels with the file, eliminating the metadata-loss problem that plagues general-purpose image formats in scientific contexts. The format's longevity and institutional backing is another strength — virtually every observatory, space telescope (Hubble, James Webb, Chandra), and astronomical software package (DS9, IRAF, Astropy) uses FITS as its primary data format.
Developer: NASA / IAU
Initial release: 1981
RGB is a raw (headerless) image format that stores pixel data as a flat sequence of red, green, and blue sample values with no container structure, compression, or metadata. Each pixel is represented by three consecutive bytes (in 8-bit mode) — one for red intensity, one for green, and one for blue — written in scanline order from the top-left corner of the image to the bottom-right. Because there is no header, the image dimensions and bit depth must be specified externally when reading the file. The format supports multiple bit depths: 8-bit (0-255 per channel), 16-bit (0-65535 per channel), and floating-point variants, with 8-bit being the most common. The RGB color model itself reflects how display hardware produces color — by mixing red, green, and blue light at varying intensities — and raw RGB files represent this model in its most direct digital form. With 8-bit channels, three bytes per pixel yield a 24-bit color palette capable of representing 16,777,216 distinct colors. One advantage is zero-overhead processing: without headers or compression to parse, raw RGB data can be memory-mapped, fed directly into GPU textures, or piped between processing stages with minimal latency — valuable in real-time imaging, scientific instrumentation, and computer vision pipelines where every millisecond matters. The format's universal simplicity provides another practical strength — any programming language can read or write raw pixel data with just basic file I/O, making it a reliable interchange format between custom software that may not share support for structured image containers. Raw RGB files are handled by ImageMagick, FFmpeg, and various scientific and graphics tools.
Initial release: 1990

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert FTS to RGB?

RGB is widely supported across devices and applications — converting from FTS makes your astronomical images accessible to anyone without specialized tools.

What programs open RGB?

Open RGB with standard tools like Windows Photos, Preview on macOS, GIMP, Photoshop, or any web browser — no special software needed.

Does this work on mobile devices?

Yes — the converter runs in any web browser, so it works on phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops regardless of operating system.

Is the output quality comparable?

The conversion extracts the best possible quality from your FTS data. The RGB output reflects the format's capabilities accurately.

How long does the conversion take?

Most FTS to RGB conversions finish within seconds. Larger or more complex images may take slightly longer depending on the data size.

What is the FTS format?

FTS is used in astronomy and scientific research. It stores telescope captures and observatory data — converting to RGB makes this data universally accessible.