FITS to BZ2 Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) is the data format of professional astronomy — every image carries a human-readable header with telescope, exposure and world coordinates alongside the raw pixel data. Convert BZ2 to ZIP or TAR when modern tools need a friendlier container.
Because the whole conversion happens on your device, it is instant, unlimited and genuinely private — no accounts, no watermarks, no files on anyone's server. Multiple files are converted in one go.
How FITS compares to BZ2
| FITS | BZ2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | None (optionally Rice/GZIP) | BWT + Huffman |
| Best for | Telescope frames, science data | Large text dumps |
How to convert FITS to BZ2
- 1
Select your files
Select your FITS file.
- 2
Convert instantly
The file bytes are gzip-compressed in place — the same archive your server or build tool produces, made locally.
- 3
Download results
Download the .gz file — ready to upload, serve or attach.
About the FITS format
FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) has carried professional astronomy data since 1981: every file opens with a plain-text header that records telescope, instrument, exposure, filters and world coordinates, followed by raw pixel arrays — often 16-bit or float, sometimes data cubes.
Values can be negative or far above display range, so FITS never looks right in a photo viewer. Converting to PNG applies a simple scaling pass that reveals the nebula or galaxy in the numbers — good for previews, while science pipelines keep the original.
+Strengths
- ✓Self-documenting science headers
- ✓High bit depth (16/32-bit, float)
- ✓The standard of every observatory
!Limitations
- −Not display-ready
- −Files are large and uncompressed
About the BZ2 format
BZ2 applies the Burrows–Wheeler transform: slower than gzip but noticeably smaller, which is why Wikipedia database dumps and old source tarballs still arrive as .bz2.
Few GUI tools ship a bz2 reader these days, so converting the contents into a ZIP or TAR is the practical way to hand the payload to someone else.
+Strengths
- ✓Better ratio than gzip
- ✓Common in dumps and archives
- ✓Mature, stable format
!Limitations
- −Slow to compress and decompress
- −Declining tool support
Why convert FITS to BZ2?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of BZ2 meet what FITS cannot give you. Better ratio than gzip Meanwhile Not display-ready One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this FITS to BZ2 converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will I lose quality converting FITS to BZ2?
No — BZ2 is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original FITS file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
Is there a size limit for archive conversion?
There is no upload cap because nothing is uploaded — the practical limit is your device memory. A few hundred megabytes of unpacked content works comfortably on a modern computer.
Are the files inside my FITS archive modified?
No. Contents are unpacked in memory and repacked into BZ2 byte-for-byte — the conversion changes the container, never the files inside it.