Milliarcsecond to Gradian Converter

A milliarcsecond (mas) is a unit of angular measurement equal to 1/1000 of an arcsecond or 1/3,600,000 of a degree. It represents the finest level of angular precision commonly used in astronomy.

Milliarcseconds became necessary with the advent of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and space-based telescopes in the late 20th century. This precision level was unattainable until advanced radio astronomy techniques and space missions like Hipparcos and Gaia made such measurements possible.

Milliarcseconds are used in cutting-edge astronomical research for measuring stellar parallax, proper motion of stars, positions of quasars, and in very long baseline interferometry. They're essential for the most precise astrometric measurements and are used by space missions like Gaia for creating detailed star catalogs.

A gradian (grad), also called a gon, is a unit of angular measurement where a full rotation is divided into 400 gradians. One gradian equals 1/400 of a complete circle, making a right angle equal to 100 gradians.

The gradian was introduced during the French Revolution as part of the metric system around 1795. It was designed to decimalize angle measurement, making calculations easier by using base-10 arithmetic. The system was promoted alongside other metric reforms but never achieved widespread adoption outside of surveying.

Gradians are primarily used in surveying and some European engineering applications. They're particularly common in land surveying in France, Germany, and other parts of Europe. Some surveying instruments and software support gradian measurements, though degrees remain more common globally.