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, 16 September 2026: day of Mercury
- Sunrise
- 05:55
- Sunset
- 18:22
- Next sunrise
- 05:56
A day hour lasts 1h 02m; a night hour, 58 min. Local time (Asia/Shanghai).
Day
- 1☿︎ Mercury05:55 – 06:58
- 2☽︎ Moon06:58 – 08:00
- 3♄︎ Saturn08:00 – 09:02
- 4♃︎ Jupiter09:02 – 10:04
- 5♂︎ Mars10:04 – 11:06
- 6☉︎ Sun11:06 – 12:09
- 7♀︎ Venus12:09 – 13:11
- 8☿︎ Mercury13:11 – 14:13
- 9☽︎ Moon14:13 – 15:15
- 10♄︎ Saturn15:15 – 16:17
- 11♃︎ Jupiter16:17 – 17:19
- 12♂︎ Mars17:19 – 18:22
Night
- 1☉︎ Sun18:22 – 19:20
- 2♀︎ Venus19:20 – 20:17
- 3☿︎ Mercury20:17 – 21:15
- 4☽︎ Moon21:15 – 22:13
- 5♄︎ Saturn22:13 – 23:11
- 6♃︎ Jupiter23:11 – 00:09
- 7♂︎ Mars00:09 – 01:07
- 8☉︎ Sun01:07 – 02:05
- 9♀︎ Venus02:05 – 03:03
- 10☿︎ Mercury03:03 – 04:01
- 11☽︎ Moon04:01 – 04:58
- 12♄︎ Saturn04:58 – 05:56
Other cities · China
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Beijing?
On Wednesday, 16 September 2026, the Sun rises at 05:55 and sets at 18:22: the day lasts 12h 26m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 02m. The night, until the next sunrise at 05:56, lasts 11h 35m: twelve night hours of 58 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mercury, from 05:55 to 06:58: 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.