Convert Milliarcseconds to Sextants
Convert Milliarcseconds (mas) to Sextants (sxt) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
sxt = mas × 4.629629630e-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 Sextants
A sextant, as an angle unit, equals 1/6 of a full circle - π/3 rad = exactly 60°. The marine sextant (invented ~1730s by John Hadley and Thomas Godfrey) measures the altitude between a celestial body and the horizon; its 60° arc gives 120° measurement range via double reflection. The 60° angle is geometrically fundamental: equilateral triangles, regular hexagons, hexagonal crystal structures, and sp²-hybridised carbon (benzene, graphene) all exhibit 60° symmetry. 1 sextant = 60° = π/3 rad = 100 grad.
Quick Reference Table
| Milliarcseconds (mas) | Sextants (sxt) |
|---|---|
| 1 mas | 4.63 × 10-9 sxt |
| 2 mas | 9.259 × 10-9 sxt |
| 5 mas | 2.315 × 10-8 sxt |
| 10 mas | 4.63 × 10-8 sxt |
| 25 mas | 1.157 × 10-7 sxt |
| 50 mas | 2.315 × 10-7 sxt |
| 100 mas | 4.63 × 10-7 sxt |