Angle
Convert between different units of angular measurement used in mathematics, navigation, astronomy, and engineering
Angle Converter
Convert between different units of angular measurement used in mathematics, navigation, astronomy, and engineering
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About Angle
Explore the various units used to measure angles across different disciplines and throughout history
Historical Context
Angular measurement has ancient origins in astronomy, navigation, and mathematics. The Babylonians developed the sexagesimal (base-60) system around 3000 BCE, which gave us the degree (1/360 of a circle), minute (1/60 of a degree), and second (1/60 of a minute). The radian, a more mathematically natural unit, was introduced in the 18th century. Military applications led to the development of the mil for artillery targeting, while navigation systems created compass points and other specialized units.
Modern Standards
Today, the degree remains the most commonly used angular unit in everyday applications, engineering, and navigation. The radian is the standard unit in mathematics, physics, and the SI system of units. Specialized fields maintain their own units: astronomy uses hour angles and arcminutes/arcseconds for precise celestial measurements; military applications use mils; and surveying often employs grads/gons. Computer graphics sometimes use binary angular measures like the binary radian (brad) where a full circle is divided into 256 units for computational efficiency.
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Conversion Reference
Quick reference for common angle conversions