Planetary hours
in Beijing.
The day, from sunrise to sunset, is cut into twelve equal hours; so is the night, from sunset to the next sunrise. Each hour carries a planet, in the Chaldean order. A planetary hour therefore lasts 60 minutes only at the equinoxes: it all depends on the date and the city. Here are the exact hours for your city; what you do with them is up to you.
Planetary day of Sunday, 17 May 2026: day of the Sun
- Sunrise
- 04:58
- Sunset
- 19:24
- Next sunrise
- 04:57
A day hour lasts 1h 12m; a night hour, 48 min. Local time (Asia/Shanghai).
Day
- 1☉︎ Sun04:58 – 06:10
- 2♀︎ Venus06:10 – 07:22
- 3☿︎ Mercury07:22 – 08:34
- 4☽︎ Moon08:34 – 09:46
- 5♄︎ Saturn09:46 – 10:58
- 6♃︎ Jupiter10:58 – 12:11
- 7♂︎ Mars12:11 – 13:23
- 8☉︎ Sun13:23 – 14:35
- 9♀︎ Venus14:35 – 15:47
- 10☿︎ Mercury15:47 – 16:59
- 11☽︎ Moon16:59 – 18:11
- 12♄︎ Saturn18:11 – 19:24
Night
- 1♃︎ Jupiter19:24 – 20:11
- 2♂︎ Mars20:11 – 20:59
- 3☉︎ Sun20:59 – 21:47
- 4♀︎ Venus21:47 – 22:35
- 5☿︎ Mercury22:35 – 23:22
- 6☽︎ Moon23:22 – 00:10
- 7♄︎ Saturn00:10 – 00:58
- 8♃︎ Jupiter00:58 – 01:46
- 9♂︎ Mars01:46 – 02:33
- 10☉︎ Sun02:33 – 03:21
- 11♀︎ Venus03:21 – 04:09
- 12☿︎ Mercury04:09 – 04:57
Other cities · China
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Beijing?
On Sunday, 17 May 2026, the Sun rises at 04:58 and sets at 19:24: the day lasts 14h 26m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 12m. The night, until the next sunrise at 04:57, lasts 9h 33m: twelve night hours of 48 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
The Sun, from 04:58 to 06:10: the first hour of a day always goes to the planet of the weekday. The next ones follow the Chaldean order: Venus, Mercury, the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, then the Sun again.
Today’s sky, on YOUR chart
Planetary hours are the same for everyone in a city. Your chart is yours alone: every morning AstroXP crosses the real sky with your birth, to the minute, and tells you what time it plays out for you.
On a computer? Scan this code with your phone.
Calendars
Sunrise and sunset calculated for the city (the Sun’s centre 0°50′ below the horizon: refraction and semi-diameter), local time of the city’s time zone. Checked against astronomy-engine, the app’s engine.