pyfv 0.0.0a1

PyFV: modern Python port of FV for FITS image/table viewing and analysis

AstroFV

AstroFV is a modern, open-source rebirth of NASA’s classic FV (FITS Viewer.)

Rewritten in Python, AstroFV provides astronomers, students, and enthusiasts with tools to explore and analyze FITS files in a clean, portable, and extensible way.

Legacy preserved. Future enabled. Open to all.

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Features

• FITS Support — Open and explore FITS images and tables
• WCS Integration — Display world coordinate system (RA/Dec) when available
• Plotting — Visualize columns, histograms, and image slices
• Table Viewer — Inspect and filter FITS table HDUs
• Scalings — Linear, logarithmic, sqrt, asinh, and more
• Jupyter Support — Run AstroFV Lite in the browser, no install required (via Binder/Colab, coming soon)

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Quick Start

Local (Python)

Clone the repository and install dependencies: git clone https://github.com/YOURUSERNAME/AstroFV.git cd AstroFV pip install -r requirements.txt

Run the FITS viewer:

  python src/fv/fv.py data/sample.image.fits

In Jupyter (AstroFV Lite)

  Notebook demos are available in the notebooks/ folder:

     jupyter notebook notebooks/fv_lite.ipynb

  Binder/Colab badges will be added soon for one-click browser runs.

     Examples
     FITS Image
     FITS Table

Documentation

Legacy FV help documentation is preserved in the doc/ folder (HTML format). This includes explanations of FITS formats, plotting, and usage examples.

History and Stewardship

The original FV (FITS Viewer) was developed at NASA in the late 1990s as part of the HEASARC mission tools suite. I have been its caretaker since 2001, ensuring it continued to serve astronomers, students, and researchers for more than two decades.

As my time at NASA comes to a close, I am placing this Python-based FV, renamed as AstroFV, on GitHub to preserve its legacy, ensure its survival, and open it to the future.

For the engineers and scientists who first created FV, AstroFV is both a tribute to that history and a new beginning — lightweight, modern, and accessible to all.

 — Dr. Pan S. Chai, October, 2025

License

This project is released under the BSD 3-Clause License. See the LICENSE file for details. © 2025 Pan S. Chai

Acknowledgments

• The original FV (FITS Viewer) developed and maintained at NASA since the 1990s
• The Astropy Project for core FITS and WCS functionality
• The astronomy community for keeping open science alive

About the Author

Pan S. Chai is a software engineer and scientist with a long history at NASA, where he worked on mission-critical astronomical tools. AstroFV is his effort to ensure that the beloved FV viewer continues to live on for future generations.