This repo contains python scripts to load data from FITS (Flexible Image Transfer System) into Tensorflow 2.x's tf.data.Dataset. It currently will load images, binary tables or ascii tables from a specified HDU (i.e. your fits file can have multiple extensions). My plan was to have it work like Tensorflow's built in functions to read images.

The functions require a byte string of your FITS file, which can be generated from Tensorflow's tf.io.read_file(file_path) function.

The returned image shape will be the same as the image in the FITS (i.e. 2D if the FITS HDU is 2D or 3D if it is 3D and so on).

The returned binary table will have the same number of rows and columns as the binary table in the FITS. HOWEVER, data types will not always be conserved. Character strings ('A'), complex numbers ('C' and 'M'), array descriptors ('P' and 'Q') and bits ('X') will be converted into float32 due to the way Tensorflow seems to want to work. Arrays of any data type (e.g. '5E') will be returned as the first value in the array. For example, columns of data type '5E' will become columns of data type 'E' by taking the first value in the array. Non-single-precision floating point values will also be converted to single-precision floating points.

The returned ascii table will have the same number of rows and columns as the ascii table in the FITS. HOWEVER, data types will not always be conserved. Character strings ('A') will be converted into float32 due to the way Tensorflow seems to want to work.

As Tensorflow requires these functions to have a known return type, the data returned from this script will be tf.float32. If you have double-precision values, there may be loss of data. There will also be loss of data for non-real numbers in tables (see above).

Install with pip: pip install tf-fits

Of if you prefer to install from source: Clone this repo: git clone https://github.com/wjpearson/tensorflow_fits.git
cd into the folder: cd tensorflow_fits
install with pip (reccomended): pip install .
or install with python: python3 setup.py install

Testing Installation If you cloned the repo and have pytest installed, you can run pytest from the tensorflow_fits folder. If you do not, you can run:

python -c "from tf_fits.test.test_tf_fits import runall; runall()"

FITS images:

import tensorflow as tf
from tf_fits.image import image_decode_fits

fits_file = '/path/to/fits/file.fits'
header = 0

img = tf.io.read_file(fits_file)
img = image_decode_fits(img, header)

FITS binary tables:

import tensorflow as tf
from tf_fits.bintable import bintable_decode_fits

fits_file = '/path/to/fits/file.fits'
header = 1

tbl = tf.io.read_file(fits_file)
tbl = bintable_decode_fits(tbl, header)

FITS ascii tables:

import tensorflow as tf
from tf_fits.asciitable import asciitable_decode_fits

fits_file = '/path/to/fits/file.fits'
header = 1

tbl = tf.io.read_file(fits_file)
tbl = asciitable_decode_fits(tbl, header)

If you use this code in a publication, shoot me a message (but don't feel obliged). I'm curious what people may use it for.

Data types in binary tables may be lost. Only bools ('L') and real numbers (unsigned bytes 'B', 16-bit integers 'I', 32-bit integers 'J', 64-bit integers 'K', single-precision floating point 'E' and double-precision floating point 'D') will be processed properly. Other data types (bit 'X', character 'A', single-precision complex 'C', double-precision complex 'M', 32-bit array descriptor 'P' and 64-bit array descriptor 'Q') will not be returned properly along with arrays of bools or real numbers (which will return the first value in the array). This is due to Tensorflow wanting arrays of a single data type and my assumption that people will use bools, real numbers or split complex numbers into separate real and imaginary parts inside Tensorflow.

Data types in ascii tables may be lost. Characters 'A' are not processed properly. It will convert these data into integers. This is due to Tensorflow wanting arrays of a single data type and my assumption that people will not be using characters (or strings) inside Tensorflow.

Reading tables is slow...

Does not check the HDU actually contains the requested XTENSION type (IMAGE, BINTABLE or TABLE)