How Many Arcseconds Are in a Full Circle?
There are 1,296,000 arcseconds in a full circle. There are 60 arcseconds in an arcminute, 60 arcminutes in a degree and 360 degrees in a full circle. The total is found by multiplying 60 by 60 by 360.
Arcminutes and arcseconds are used in fields that involve precise measurements and very small angles, such as astronomy, optometry, optics and navigation. In astronomy, where calculations often involve vast distances, the difference made by a tiny discrepancy in angle measure can create significant error. Astronomers sometimes use even smaller subdivisions of the arcsecond, referred to milliarcseconds and microarcseconds. Measurements as small as an arcminute are also commonly used in the firearms industry when evaluating and adjusting the accuracy of a rifle.
