Arcminute to Degree Converter

How it is calculated

One degree is divided into 60 arcminutes, so the conversion is a single multiplication or division. From arcminutes to degrees: degrees = arcminutes ÷ 60. From degrees to arcminutes: arcminutes = degrees × 60. You enter one value and choose the direction; the tool shows the converted number to four decimals, a line stating the rate, and your input repeated with its unit. Negative values and decimals are accepted, and the sign is kept. The result is a decimal number of degrees, not degrees-minutes-seconds. If the direction is anything other than degrees to arcminutes, the tool converts arcminutes to degrees. Arcseconds are not handled, so convert them to arcminutes first (divide by 60).

Common mistakes

• Reading 1.6667 degrees as 1 degree 66.67 minutes; the part after the decimal point is a fraction of a degree, so 0.6667 degrees is 40 arcminutes, not 66.
• Choosing the wrong direction and not noticing: the unit printed after the number (deg or arcmin) shows which way the conversion ran.
• Mixing up arcminutes and arcseconds: 1 arcminute is 60 arcseconds, so a value in arcseconds must be divided by 60 first, or by 3600 for degrees.
• Confusing arcminutes with minutes of time: 60 arcminutes in a degree is an angle, while right ascension or time zones use hours, minutes and seconds of time.
• Dropping the sign of a negative angle: the tool keeps it, so −30 arcminutes gives −0.5 degrees, which is a different direction from +0.5.