  The CHIANTI atomic database was first released in 1996 and has had a huge
impact on the analysis and modeling of emissions from astrophysical plasmas.
The database has continued to be updated, with version 8 released in 2015.
Atomic data for modeling the emissivities of 246 ions and neutrals are
contained in CHIANTI, together with data for deriving the ionization fractions
of all elements up to zinc. The different types of atomic data are summarized
here and their formats discussed. Statistics on the impact of CHIANTI to the
astrophysical community are given and examples of the diverse range of
applications are presented.
