Degrees To Minutes
Convert degrees to minutes of arc (arcmin) instantly with this free online angle converter. Enter any degree value and get the exact equivalent in minutes of arc for navigation, geography, astronomy, and surveying.
About This Calculator
The Degrees to Minutes of Arc Converter is a free online tool that instantly converts angle measurements from degrees (°) to minutes of arc ('), also known as arcminutes. One degree equals 60 minutes of arc, making this a simple but essential conversion for professionals and students working with angular measurements in navigation, geography, astronomy, and surveying.
Minutes of arc provide greater precision than degrees when measuring small angles. For example, while a degree is useful for describing large angles like 90° (a right angle), minutes of arc allow you to express smaller angular differences — such as 0.5° as 30' — with integer values. This unit is fundamental in geographic coordinate systems where locations are expressed as degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS format like 45° 30' 15").
Formula: Minutes of Arc = Degrees × 60. For example, 45° = 45 × 60 = 2,700 arcminutes. To convert back, Degrees = Minutes of Arc ÷ 60.
Common Applications:
- Navigation & Geography: Latitude and longitude are traditionally measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS). One nautical mile is defined as one minute of arc along a meridian.
- Astronomy: Star positions, angular separations between celestial objects, and telescope field of view are measured in degrees and arcminutes. The Moon's apparent diameter is about 31 arcminutes.
- Surveying & Mapping: Land surveyors use minutes of arc for precise angular measurements in property boundary determination and topographic mapping.
- Marksmanship: In shooting sports, 1 MOA (minute of angle) at 100 yards equals approximately 1 inch, used for sight adjustment and accuracy measurement.
Regional Notes: The degree-minute-second system is used globally for geographic coordinates and angle measurement. Whether you use the metric system or imperial system, angular measurement units (degrees, minutes, seconds) remain the same worldwide — making this converter equally useful in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and everywhere else.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert degrees to minutes of arc?
To convert degrees to minutes of arc, multiply the degree value by 60. For example, 1 degree equals 60 arcminutes, 45 degrees equals 2,700 arcminutes, and 90 degrees equals 5,400 arcminutes.
What is a minute of arc?
A minute of arc (arcmin, MOA, or ') is a unit of angular measurement equal to 1/60 of one degree. It is commonly used in navigation, astronomy, geography, and surveying to measure small angles with greater precision than degrees alone.
How many degrees are in a minute of arc?
There are 0.0166667 degrees (1/60 of a degree) in one minute of arc. To convert minutes of arc back to degrees, divide the number of arcminutes by 60.
Where are degrees and minutes of arc used?
Degrees and minutes of arc are widely used in geographic coordinate systems (latitude and longitude format 45° 30'), navigation for nautical mile calculations, astronomy for celestial object positions, surveying for land measurement, and marksmanship for MOA accuracy measurements.
What is the difference between arcminutes and minutes of time?
Arcminutes (minutes of arc) measure angles — 1/60 of a degree. Minutes of time measure time — 1/60 of an hour. Though they share the name 'minute,' they are entirely different units. Earth rotates 15 degrees of longitude per hour, so 1 minute of time corresponds to 15 arcminutes of Earth's rotation.
How many minutes of arc are in a full circle?
A full circle (360 degrees) contains 21,600 minutes of arc. This is calculated as 360 degrees × 60 arcminutes per degree = 21,600 arcminutes.
Is this degrees to minutes converter free?
Yes, all calculators on Calculy are completely free to use with no registration or hidden fees. Convert degrees to minutes of arc instantly online.
Can I convert fractional degrees like 45.5° to arcminutes?
Yes, this converter supports decimal degree values. For example, 45.5 degrees converts to 2,730 arcminutes (45.5 × 60 = 2,730). Enter any fractional degree value and get the precise arcminute equivalent.