The Case Against Dividing a Circle into 365 Degrees for Earth’s Orbit

The division of a circle into 360 degrees is rooted in ancient history and practicality, rather than an exact match to Earth's orbit around the Sun. This article explores the reasons why dividing a circle into 365 degrees, despite its direct correlation with the number of days in a year, is not practical.

Historical Convention and Geometric Utility

The 360-degree system has been used for thousands of years and deeply ingrained in various fields such as mathematics, navigation, and astronomy. The choice of 360 is due to its highly composite nature, meaning it has numerous divisors. For example, 360 can be divided evenly into many fractions such as 1°, 2°, 3°, 4°, etc., which makes it extremely useful in computations.

Conversely, 365 does not share this property. The factors of 365 are limited to 5 and 73, making it much less convenient for practical calculations.

Astronomical and Mathematical Standardization

The division of angles in geometry and trigonometry is standardized around the 360-degree system, facilitating easier calculations and consistency across various applications. For instance, in astronomy, the 360-degree system is used to measure celestial phenomena, making it a familiar and universally accepted standard.

The Ubiquity of Circle Usage Beyond the Earth's Orbit

Circles are fundamental in numerous fields, including geometry, engineering, and architecture. Replacing the 360-degree system would require extensive changes and could cause significant disruptions. Additionally, despite the presence of leap years, adding days to the Earth's orbit does not justify altering the division of a circle.

Practical Considerations

Even if we were to adopt a 365-degree system, it would introduce numerous complications. The average year is 365.24219 days, which would necessitate a fractional degree system (e.g., 364.24219 units in a circle). Such a system would be cumbersome and require extensive adjustments in mathematical and scientific fields.

For example, the interior angles of a triangle would add up to 182.621095 units, a right angle would be 91.3105475 units, and each interior angle of an equilateral triangle would have 60.873698333 units, among others. These changes would create unnecessary complexity and would not offer any significant merit.

To summarize, while the 365-degree system might align with the number of days in a year, the historical conventions and practical utility of the 360-degree system make it the more viable and effective choice. The standardization and conveniences offered by the current system are too valuable to be abandoned for the sake of aligning with Earth’s orbital period.