Minute in Earth Science

In Earth Science, a minute is a unit of angular measurement. It is used to measure the position and motion of celestial bodies such as stars, planets, and galaxies.

Definition

A minute is defined as 1/60th of a degree. There are 60 minutes in 1 degree. The symbol for minute is ^'.

Conversion

To convert minutes to degrees, you can use the following formula:

degrees = minutes / 60

Example

If you have 30 minutes, you can convert it to degrees as follows:

degrees = 30 / 60 = 0.5 degrees

Study Guide

• Understand the definition of a minute as 1/60th of a degree.
• Practice converting minutes to degrees using the conversion formula.
• Review examples of celestial coordinates that use minutes in their measurements.