Convert Arcseconds to Degrees
Convert Arcseconds to Degrees instantly. 1 Arcsecond (″) equals 0.0002778 Degrees (°).
Arcseconds to Degrees conversion table
| Arcseconds (″) | Degrees (°) |
|---|---|
| 1 ″ | 0.0002778 ° |
| 2 ″ | 0.0005556 ° |
| 3 ″ | 0.0008333 ° |
| 5 ″ | 0.001389 ° |
| 10 ″ | 0.002778 ° |
| 20 ″ | 0.005556 ° |
| 50 ″ | 0.01389 ° |
| 100 ″ | 0.02778 ° |
| 500 ″ | 0.1389 ° |
| 1,000 ″ | 0.2778 ° |
1 Arcsecond = 0.0002778 Degrees · multiply Arcseconds by 0.0002778
About converting Arcseconds to Degrees
Arcseconds (″) and Degrees (°) are both units of angle, so converting between them is a single multiplication: multiply your Arcseconds figure by 0.0002778. Ten Arcseconds comes to 0.002778 Degrees, and a hundred works out at 0.02778 Degrees.
Rule of thumb: going from Arcseconds to Degrees divides, so the figure always shrinks — it takes about 3,600 Arcseconds to make a single Degree. If your answer came out bigger, you have the conversion the wrong way round.
What is an Arcsecond?
The arcsecond is a sixtieth of an arcminute, and it is where angle measurement becomes astronomy. The apparent width of a planet, the separation of a double star and the resolving power of a telescope are all quoted in arcseconds, and Earth’s atmosphere smears ground-based images to roughly an arcsecond of "seeing" — which is precisely why observatories go up mountains and telescopes go into orbit. It is a startlingly small angle: about what a coin subtends from several kilometers away. Precision optics, satellite pointing and surveying instruments all work in arcseconds or finer.
What is a Degree?
The degree is the everyday unit of angle, and its division of the circle into 360 parts comes from Babylonian astronomy and the base-60 arithmetic that came with it. The number survived because it is unreasonably convenient: 360 divides evenly by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12, so halves, thirds, quarters, fifths and sixths of a circle are all whole numbers of degrees. Nothing about it is natural or mathematically necessary — it is a human choice that stuck for thousands of years because the arithmetic is painless. Like the hectare, it is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with SI.
To put both in perspective: atmospheric blur limits most ground telescopes to about one arcsecond, while a right angle is 90 degrees.
The converter above updates as you type, and the table lists common values for quick reference. Need the opposite direction? Use the Degrees to Arcseconds converter, or browse all Angle converters.
Frequently asked questions
How many Degrees are in one Arcsecond?
There are 0.0002778 Degrees in one Arcsecond.
How do I convert Arcseconds to Degrees?
Multiply the number of Arcseconds by 0.0002778. For example, 10 Arcseconds = 0.002778 Degrees.
What is 100 Arcseconds in Degrees?
100 Arcseconds is equal to 0.02778 Degrees.
How do I convert Degrees to Arcseconds?
Multiply the Degrees value by 3,600 (or divide by 0.0002778).
Is this Arcseconds to Degrees conversion exact?
The definition is exact — Arcseconds and Degrees are both fixed against the same base by international agreement — but the decimal shown here is rounded for readability, because the true ratio does not terminate. For engineering or scientific work, carry more decimal places than this page displays.
What is an Arcsecond?
The arcsecond is a sixtieth of an arcminute, and it is where angle measurement becomes astronomy. The apparent width of a planet, the separation of a double star and the resolving power of a telescope are all quoted in arcseconds, and Earth’s atmosphere smears ground-based images to roughly an arcsecond of "seeing" — which is precisely why observatories go up mountains and telescopes go into orbit. It is a startlingly small angle: about what a coin subtends from several kilometers away. Precision optics, satellite pointing and surveying instruments all work in arcseconds or finer.
What is a Degree?
The degree is the everyday unit of angle, and its division of the circle into 360 parts comes from Babylonian astronomy and the base-60 arithmetic that came with it. The number survived because it is unreasonably convenient: 360 divides evenly by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12, so halves, thirds, quarters, fifths and sixths of a circle are all whole numbers of degrees. Nothing about it is natural or mathematically necessary — it is a human choice that stuck for thousands of years because the arithmetic is painless. Like the hectare, it is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with SI.