Convert Sextants to Binary Degrees

Convert Sextants (sxt) to Binary Degrees (brad) instantly and accurately.

Conversion Formula

brad = sxt × 42.66666667

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.

About Binary Degrees

A binary degree (brad) divides the full circle into 256 equal parts - π/128 rad ≈ 0.024544 rad (= 1.40625°). The 256-part circle maps perfectly onto an 8-bit byte, making binary degrees ideal for memory-constrained embedded systems: headings stored in a single byte (0-255) need no floating-point arithmetic. Game engines, CNC machine controllers, and digital servo systems use this representation. 16-bit BAM (65,536 per circle) gives ~0.005° (≈ 89 µrad) per unit for precision heading systems. 1 brad = 1.40625° = 84.375′.

Quick Reference Table

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