boogminuut

Boogminuut is a unit of angular measure, commonly used in Dutch to refer to what is known in English as the arcminute. It denotes one sixtieth of a degree and is a subunit of angular measurement used to express relatively small angles. The symbol is often the prime mark (′), and it is sometimes abbreviated as arcmin.

Relationships and conversions: 1 boogminuut = 1/60 of a degree, and therefore 1 degree = 60 boogminuten. Since 1 boogminuut equals 60 boogseconden (arcseconds), a full circle contains 21,600 boogminuten. Angular measures are ultimately tied to the circle’s subdivision into 360 degrees, each degree into 60 arcminutes, and each arcminute into 60 arcseconds.

Origins and usage: The concept derives from the sexagesimal division of the circle, a system inherited from ancient astronomy for dividing angles. The boogminuut remains a practical unit for describing moderate to small angular separations where degrees are too coarse and arcseconds too detailed. It is widely used in astronomy, navigation, and surveying to report angular distances and field-of-view sizes.

Applications: In astronomy, arcminutes describe separations between celestial objects or the angular extent of features on the sky. In navigation and surveying, they have historically helped express precise positions and angles on maps and charts. In modern practice, radians are the SI angle unit, but arcminutes continue to appear in many observational descriptions and catalog coordinates, often alongside arcseconds.

See also: degree, arcsecond, radian, celestial coordinate system.