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What is a .nc file?
A .nc file is a netCDF-3 Classic. This one is a specialist format without an obvious everyday home. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 5 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.
This extension has been used by more than one format
5 different formats have claimed .nc over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .nc file
- The program that created it is by far the most reliable way to open it.
- On Windows, use a hex viewer or the free TrID tool to identify what the file really is.
- On Mac or Linux, running `file yourfile` in the terminal identifies most formats instantly.
The registry records this extension against netCDF-3 Classic, netCDF-3 64-bit, HDF5 and others, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .nc file
- Identify the file first, then look for an export or Save As option in whatever program can read it.
MIME type
When a .nc file travels over the web, servers label it with one of these MIME types:
application/netcdfapplication/x-netcdfThe technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .nc.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| netCDF-3 Classic | — | application/netcdf, application/x-netcdf | fmt/282 |
| netCDF-3 64-bit | — | application/netcdf, application/x-netcdf | fmt/283 |
| HDF5 | 1 | — | fmt/286 |
| HDF5 | 2 | — | fmt/287 |
| HDF5 | 0 | — | fmt/807 |