In PostgreSQL, the degrees() function converts from radians to degrees.

The radian is the SI (International System of Units) unit for measuring angles. One radian is just under 57.3 degrees, and a full circle has just over 6.28 radians (2π).

Syntax

The syntax goes like this:

degrees(dp)

Where dp is a double precision value that represents the radians you want converted to degrees.

Example

Here’s an example of how it works.

SELECT degrees(5);

Result:

286.4788975654116

Here, we see that 5 radians is equal to 286.4788975654116 degrees.

Negative Values

You can also pass negative values.

SELECT degrees(-5);

Result:

-286.4788975654116

Expressions

Here’s an example that uses an expression.

SELECT degrees(2 * 3);

Result:

343.77467707849394

Large Values

You can pass values that are larger than a full circle.

SELECT degrees(2000);

Result:

114591.55902616464

Full Circle

In this example I provide the number of radians in a full circle.

SELECT degrees(6.283185307179586);

Result:

360

Pass Another Function

The previous example can also be done using the radians() function, which converts from degrees to radians.

SELECT degrees(radians(360));

Result:

360

Pi

As mentioned, a radian is 2π. We can use the pi() function to verify this.

SELECT 
  degrees(pi()),
  degrees(2 * pi());

Result:

 degrees | degrees
---------+---------
     180 |     360