Degrees to Seconds

Astronomical Astrometry & Sexagesimal Arcsecond Standards

In angular metrology, 1 arcsecond (1") is defined as 1/3,600 of a degree.

Primary Angular Scale Equivalents

• 1 Full Circle: = 360^ = 1,296,000 Arcseconds

• 1 Degree (1^): = 60' = 3,600" = (π) / (180) rad

• 1 Arcminute (1'): = 60" = (1) / (60)^

• 1 Arcsecond (1"): = (1) / (3,600)^ ≈ 4.848137 × 10^-6 rad

• 1 Microarcsecond (1 μas): = 10^-6 arcsec = 10^-6

Equations

• Arcseconds = Degrees × 3,600

• Degrees = Arcseconds3,600

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your Angular Value to Convert (e.g. 1.50) and Conversion Direction — choose from Decimal Degrees to Arcseconds (° → " / multiply by 3,600), Arcseconds to Decimal Degrees (" → ° / divide by 3,600). Results update instantly as you type — adjust any value to compare scenarios.

The Formula

Conversion factors used in this calculator:

1 Degree = 3,600 Arcseconds

Worked Example

A telescope calibration offset of 1.5 degrees corresponds to an angular displacement of 5,400 arcseconds (90 arcminutes) on the celestial sphere.

Understanding Your Result

Unit conversion precision: round to the same number of significant figures as your original measurement. Converting 6 feet to meters gives 1.8288 m — but if your measurement was approximate (±1 inch), expressing more than 2 decimal places is false precision. For international trade and technical specifications, SI units (meters, kilograms, liters) are the standard. US customary units (feet, pounds, gallons) differ from Imperial UK units: 1 US gallon = 3.785 L vs. 1 UK gallon = 4.546 L.