Planetary hours
in Cape Town.
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, 7 October 2026: day of Mercury
- Sunrise
- 06:15
- Sunset
- 18:53
- Next sunrise
- 06:14
A day hour lasts 1h 03m; a night hour, 57 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1☿︎ Mercury06:15 – 07:18
- 2☽︎ Moon07:18 – 08:21
- 3♄︎ Saturn08:21 – 09:24
- 4♃︎ Jupiter09:24 – 10:28
- 5♂︎ Mars10:28 – 11:31
- 6☉︎ Sun11:31 – 12:34
- 7♀︎ Venus12:34 – 13:37
- 8☿︎ Mercury13:37 – 14:40
- 9☽︎ Moon14:40 – 15:43
- 10♄︎ Saturn15:43 – 16:47
- 11♃︎ Jupiter16:47 – 17:50
- 12♂︎ Mars17:50 – 18:53
Night
- 1☉︎ Sun18:53 – 19:50
- 2♀︎ Venus19:50 – 20:46
- 3☿︎ Mercury20:46 – 21:43
- 4☽︎ Moon21:43 – 22:40
- 5♄︎ Saturn22:40 – 23:37
- 6♃︎ Jupiter23:37 – 00:33
- 7♂︎ Mars00:33 – 01:30
- 8☉︎ Sun01:30 – 02:27
- 9♀︎ Venus02:27 – 03:23
- 10☿︎ Mercury03:23 – 04:20
- 11☽︎ Moon04:20 – 05:17
- 12♄︎ Saturn05:17 – 06:14
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Cape Town?
On Wednesday, 7 October 2026, the Sun rises at 06:15 and sets at 18:53: the day lasts 12h 38m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 03m. The night, until the next sunrise at 06:14, lasts 11h 21m: twelve night hours of 57 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mercury, from 06:15 to 07:18: 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.