Convert Milliarcseconds to Quadrants
Convert Milliarcseconds (mas) to Quadrants (quad) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
quad = mas × 3.086419753e-9
About Milliarcseconds
A milliarcsecond (mas) is one thousandth of an arcsecond - approximately 4.848 × 10⁻⁹ rad. It is the standard unit of precision astrometry. The ESA Hipparcos satellite measured stellar positions to ~1 mas; its successor Gaia achieves 7-100 µas for bright stars. A parallax of 1 mas corresponds to a distance of 1 kiloparsec (3,260 light-years). Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) resolves well below 1 mas, imaging structures around supermassive black holes. 1 mas = 10⁻³ arcseconds ≈ 4.848 × 10⁻⁹ rad.
About Quadrants
A quadrant equals 1/4 of a full circle - π/2 rad = 90°, the right angle. Perpendicularity underpins Euclidean geometry, the Pythagorean theorem, and Cartesian coordinate systems. In AC electrical engineering, voltage and current in purely reactive circuits are exactly 90° out of phase, defining reactive power in VAr. The four quadrants of the unit circle determine the sign of sine, cosine, and tangent. GPS orbital elements encode latitude in semicircles bounded by ±1 quadrant = ±90°. 1 quadrant = 90° = 100 grad = π/2 rad = 1,600 NATO mils.
Quick Reference Table
| Milliarcseconds (mas) | Quadrants (quad) |
|---|---|
| 1 mas | 3.086 × 10-9 quad |
| 2 mas | 6.173 × 10-9 quad |
| 5 mas | 1.543 × 10-8 quad |
| 10 mas | 3.086 × 10-8 quad |
| 25 mas | 7.716 × 10-8 quad |
| 50 mas | 1.543 × 10-7 quad |
| 100 mas | 3.086 × 10-7 quad |