FITS to TBZ2 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 TBZ2 exactly like TAR.BZ2.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How FITS compares to TBZ2
| FITS | TBZ2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | None (optionally Rice/GZIP) | Bzip2 (block-sorting) |
| Best for | Telescope frames, science data | Legacy release artifacts |
How to convert FITS to TBZ2
- 1
Select your files
Select your FITS file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TBZ2 container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TBZ2 archive.
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 TBZ2 format
TAR.BZ2 pairs the tar container with bzip2 compression — the classic release artifact of the 2000s Unix world. Bzip2's block-sorting algorithm compresses text and source trees noticeably tighter than gzip, which is why distribution mirrors and source releases favoured it for years.
Today it has largely ceded the top spot to TAR.XZ (smaller) and tar.gz (faster), but countless build scripts, mirrors and legacy toolchains still expect the exact .tar.bz2 artifact — and producing it is a matter of running the tar through a bzip2 encoder.
+Strengths
- ✓Tighter than gzip on text and source trees
- ✓Classic, universally supported on Unix-like systems
- ✓Deterministic, well-understood artifact for releases
!Limitations
- −Slow compression compared to gzip/zstd
- −Larger than TAR.XZ for the same content
- −Single stream — no random file access
Why convert FITS to TBZ2?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of TBZ2 meet what FITS cannot give you. Tighter than gzip on text and source trees 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 TBZ2 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 TBZ2?
No — TBZ2 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.
What happens to EXIF data and other metadata?
Conversions here re-encode the image, and re-encoding generally does not carry the original metadata over. If the EXIF data of your FITS files matters (camera model, GPS, timestamps), keep the original file as the master and treat the converted copy as the shareable version.
Can I convert several FITS files at once?
Yes — drop as many files as you like into the tool and they are converted in one batch. When more than one file comes out, everything is bundled into a ZIP for a single download.