JPC to FITS Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
JPC is the raw JPEG 2000 code stream — the same wavelet-compressed image data as JP2 without the container box. Common in broadcast and archival pipelines that stream codestreams directly. Convert FITS frames to PNG or JPG to preview telescope data, or pack them into a ZIP for sharing.
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 JPC compares to FITS
| JPC | FITS | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Wavelet (lossy + lossless) | None (optionally Rice/GZIP) |
| Transparency | Supported | Not supported |
| Animation | Not supported | Not supported |
| Metadata | None (bare codestream) | Rich text header (WCS) |
| Best for | Broadcast streams, archival pipelines | Telescope frames, science data |
How to convert JPC to FITS
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your JPC files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to FITS". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted FITS file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the JPC format
JPC is JPEG 2000 stripped to its bare codestream: the same wavelet-compressed image data as JP2, minus the container boxes that give JP2 its metadata, color profiles and file signature. Broadcast and archival systems that stream codestreams directly (rather than storing boxed files) work with JPC.
Because there is no container, JPC carries no thumbnail, no EXIF and no declared colorspace — players must probe the codestream header itself. Converting JPC into JP2 restores a full container; converting to JPG or PNG produces an instantly viewable copy.
+Strengths
- ✓Wavelet compression, better per-byte quality than JPG
- ✓True lossless mode available
- ✓Streamable — no container parsing needed
!Limitations
- −No metadata, color profile or thumbnail
- −Browsers cannot open it at all
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
Why convert JPC to FITS?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of FITS meet what JPC cannot give you. Self-documenting science headers Meanwhile No metadata, color profile or thumbnail One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this JPC to FITS 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 JPC to FITS?
No — FITS is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original JPC 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 JPC files matters (camera model, GPS, timestamps), keep the original file as the master and treat the converted copy as the shareable version.
Will transparent areas survive the conversion to FITS?
Transparency is kept whenever FITS actually supports an alpha channel. If the target format has none (like JPG), transparent areas are flattened onto a white background — that is a property of the format, not of this tool.