How to use
- 1
Enter your birth date.
- 2
Add your birth time if you know it; leave it empty otherwise.
- 3
Choose the time zone of your birthplace (it defaults to your current one).
- 4
Read the table and tap any planet to see what it is associated with in astrology.
More than your Sun sign
The sign you read in horoscopes is only the Sun’s position. A birth chart also places the Moon and eight planets in the zodiac, and each of them can sit in a different sign. This calculator lists all of them, plus the mean North Node and Black Moon Lilith, with the degree and minute inside the sign and an R for planets that were retrograde (appearing to move backwards from Earth).
Why the birth time matters
The Moon changes sign every two and a half days, so on many dates it moves into a new sign during the day. Without a time the tool calculates for noon, shows every sign the Moon passed through that day with the time it changed, and marks any other planet that changed sign so you know the result is uncertain. Mercury, Venus and Mars change sign every few weeks, so a missing time rarely affects them.
How the positions are calculated
Positions are geocentric, apparent ecliptic longitudes in the tropical zodiac used by Western astrology, computed in your browser with the open-source Astronomy Engine library (based on the VSOP87 planetary theory). Your local birth time is converted to UTC with the historical daylight-saving rules of the zone you choose, which is where many online calculators go wrong.
Reading the result
In astrology each body stands for a theme (the Moon for emotional needs, Venus for affection and taste, Mars for drive) and the sign describes the style in which that theme is expressed. These meanings come from a long cultural tradition; use them for reflection and fun rather than as statements of fact about you.
Frequently asked questions
What if I do not know my birth time?
Leave the time field empty. The calculator uses 12:00, lists the signs the Moon moved through that day and flags any planet that changed sign. Everything else will almost always be correct.
Why does my Moon sign differ from another website?
Usually because of the time zone: if a site ignores daylight saving time in your birth year, the Moon can be off by half a degree or more, which matters near a sign boundary. Check that the time zone selected here is your birthplace’s.
What does the R next to a planet mean?
R marks a retrograde planet: seen from Earth it appeared to move backwards through the zodiac at your birth. It is an optical effect of the orbits, which astrology traditionally reads as a more inward expression of that planet.
Is the North Node true or mean?
The tool shows the mean North Node and the mean Black Moon Lilith, the smoothed positions most traditional sources use. The true node can differ by up to about 1.5°.