Minute Of Arc (Noun)
Meaning
A unit of angular distance equal to a 60th of a degree.
Classification
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure.
Examples
- The angular diameter of the moon is approximately 30 arcminutes or 0.5 degrees.
- To adjust the rifle's telescopic sight, turn the adjustment screw by one minute of arc to correct the aiming point.
- One minute of arc is a relatively small angle, so a theodolite must be accurately calibrated to achieve reliable results.
- When adjusting the optics, use a vernier scale that is marked in units of minutes of arc for fine adjustments.
- Each incremental change of one minute of arc is too small for unaided observation to measure precisely.