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 Wednesday, 20 May 2026: day of Mercury
- Sunrise
- 04:55
- Sunset
- 19:26
- Next sunrise
- 04:54
A day hour lasts 1h 13m; a night hour, 47 min. Local time (Asia/Shanghai).
Day
- 1☿︎ Mercury04:55 – 06:08
- 2☽︎ Moon06:08 – 07:20
- 3♄︎ Saturn07:20 – 08:33
- 4♃︎ Jupiter08:33 – 09:45
- 5♂︎ Mars09:45 – 10:58
- 6☉︎ Sun10:58 – 12:11
- 7♀︎ Venus12:11 – 13:23
- 8☿︎ Mercury13:23 – 14:36
- 9☽︎ Moon14:36 – 15:49
- 10♄︎ Saturn15:49 – 17:01
- 11♃︎ Jupiter17:01 – 18:14
- 12♂︎ Mars18:14 – 19:26
Night
- 1☉︎ Sun19:26 – 20:14
- 2♀︎ Venus20:14 – 21:01
- 3☿︎ Mercury21:01 – 21:48
- 4☽︎ Moon21:48 – 22:36
- 5♄︎ Saturn22:36 – 23:23
- 6♃︎ Jupiter23:23 – 00:10
- 7♂︎ Mars00:10 – 00:58
- 8☉︎ Sun00:58 – 01:45
- 9♀︎ Venus01:45 – 02:32
- 10☿︎ Mercury02:32 – 03:20
- 11☽︎ Moon03:20 – 04:07
- 12♄︎ Saturn04:07 – 04:54
Other cities · China
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Beijing?
On Wednesday, 20 May 2026, the Sun rises at 04:55 and sets at 19:26: the day lasts 14h 31m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 13m. The night, until the next sunrise at 04:54, lasts 9h 28m: twelve night hours of 47 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mercury, from 04:55 to 06:08: the first hour of a day always goes to the planet of the weekday. The next ones follow the Chaldean order: the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, then Mercury 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.