Nautical mile
| Nautical mile | |
|---|---|
Historical definition – 1 nautical mile | |
| General information | |
| Unit of | length |
| Symbol | M, NM,[a] or nmi |
| Conversions | |
| 1 M, NM,[a] or nmi in ... | ... is equal to ... |
| metre | 1,852[1] |
| foot | ≈ 6,076.11549 |
| statute mile | ≈ 1.15078 |
| cable | 10 |
A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters.[2][3][4] Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute (1/60 of a degree) of latitude at the equator, so that Earth's polar circumference is very near to 21,600 nautical miles (that is 60 minutes × 360 degrees). Today the international nautical mile is defined as exactly 1,852 metres (about 6,076 ft; 1.151 mi).[5] The derived unit of speed is the knot, one nautical mile per hour.
The nautical mile is not part of the International System of Units (SI), nor is it accepted for use with SI. However, it is still in common use globally in air, marine, and space contexts due to its correspondence with geographic coordinates.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Göbel, E.; Mills, I.M.; Wallard, Andrew, eds. (2006). The International System of Units (SI) (PDF) (8th ed.). Paris: Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. p. 127. ISBN 92-822-2213-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
- ^ Wragg, David W. (1973). A Dictionary of Aviation (first ed.). Osprey. p. 200. ISBN 9780850451634.
- ^ "mile | unit of measurement". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ "UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA". www.un.org. Archived from the original on 2017-12-18. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ Wragg, David W. (1973). A Dictionary of Aviation (first ed.). Osprey. p. 200. ISBN 9780850451634.