FITSImporter
UltimateAstroWidget

The QuickLook generator for FITS files!
Version 2.1.1, released 2009-10-08

For Leopard/10.5 (32bit) and SnowLeopard/10.6 (32bit & 64bit).
Only for Intel CPUs.


A bug prevent the Preference Pane to work on Leopard. I am working on it. In SnowLeo, everything's fine. The QuickLook plugin itself works well.
New features in this version: A preferences panel to customize previews! Header frame can be dynamically resized on previews (although it will not be remembered for the next file).
Features:
  • Colorized header.
  • Quick summary + Full header
  • Automatic detection of ESO keywords
  • Links to ESO archive seeing/prog id pages (when possible)
  • Support for multi-extensiom FITS files!
  • On-the-fly preview of 2D images!
  • On-the-fly preview of 1D spectra (drawn with scaled axes)!
  • For 2D images: On-the-fly thumbnail of 1st extension that contains data
  • For 1D spectra: On-the-fly thumbnail of the spectrum
  • Display of the value of the "OBJECT" header keyword, with large fonts.

Notes: images pixels are scaled linearly (it produces in general better results than linear or logarithmic-zscaling). If no data are present in the FITS, only the header is shown. Previews are full-resolution images/spectra up to 2000 pixels wide/long. Above that, it is scaled down to 2000 pixels. Users of SAO/ds9.app: If you see the SAO/ds9.app icon in your Finder , you need to open the "Get Info" panel (⌘-I) of the file, and make sure to apply to all files by cliking "Change all...".

Download now for 4 euros!
(Via PayPal, no account required). At the end, be sure to click on "Return to merchant site" to get a download button. Try the Free Demo Version first (cut header, no quick summary, no ESO links, red watermark).

Paid users: Enter your QLFits 2.x.x email address to get a free upgrade:


The Spotlight plugin for FITS files.
Version 1.1, released 2009-09-29.
For Leopard/10.5 (32bit) and SnowLeopard/10.6 (32bit & 64bit).
Only for Intel CPUs.
Make Spotlight queries against R.A., Dec., Julian date or airmass!

The FITSImporter plugin is a Spotlight plugin that allows to make Spotlight queries against dedicated keywords of the FITS header. It provides also additional information in the "Get Info" panel of the Finder (⌘-I). When available, the following keywords are filled:

	Target Name (as a string)
	Naxis (as a number)
	Naxis1 (as a number)
	Naxis2 (as a number)
	Observation Date (as a date)
	Exposure Time (as a number)
	Instrument Name (as a string)
	Detector name (as a string)
	Telescope name (as a string)
	Observatory name (as a string)
	Observer(s) name (as a string)
	Right Ascension (as a number)
	Declination (as a number)
	Equinox (as a number)
	Epoch (as a number)
	RaDecSystem (as a string)
	Local Sidereal Time (as a string)
	Universal Time (as a string)
	Modified Julian Date (as a number)
	Julian Date (as a number)
	Airmass (as a number)
	BZero (as a number)
	BScale (as a number)
	Bitpix (as a number)
	ESO Archive Filename (as a string)
Download it for free. FITSImporter.mdimporter.zip Unzip, and put it in

You must then issue the following command on a Terminal:


UltimateAstroWidget
Essential tool for proposals.
The UltimateAstroWidget gives you in real-time the Universal Time, the Julian Date, the Modified Julian Date, a Day Count, and the Local Sideral Time for the specified location. The UAW is filled with dozens of astronomical observatories. Even better: it allows you to draw and save airmass curves, as well as observability data! Just enter the name of your target, it will be resolved by Simbad, and that's it! Each location is provided with coordinates, and is completed with a Wikipedia and a Wikimapia button! If you want your observatory to be included in the list, just email us!

Note (2009-07-24): I just discovered that my version of the UltimateAstroWidget was locking Dashboard because it was busy filling logfiles with debug information... I uploaded the same version (1.1.0) with these messages supressed. Try it out if you have problems!
Download it for free! UltimateAstroWidget.zip