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 Tuesday, 20 October 2026: day of Mars
- Sunrise
- 05:58
- Sunset
- 19:03
- Next sunrise
- 05:57
A day hour lasts 1h 05m; a night hour, 54 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1♂︎ Mars05:58 – 07:04
- 2☉︎ Sun07:04 – 08:09
- 3♀︎ Venus08:09 – 09:15
- 4☿︎ Mercury09:15 – 10:20
- 5☽︎ Moon10:20 – 11:25
- 6♄︎ Saturn11:25 – 12:31
- 7♃︎ Jupiter12:31 – 13:36
- 8♂︎ Mars13:36 – 14:42
- 9☉︎ Sun14:42 – 15:47
- 10♀︎ Venus15:47 – 16:53
- 11☿︎ Mercury16:53 – 17:58
- 12☽︎ Moon17:58 – 19:03
Night
- 1♄︎ Saturn19:03 – 19:58
- 2♃︎ Jupiter19:58 – 20:52
- 3♂︎ Mars20:52 – 21:47
- 4☉︎ Sun21:47 – 22:41
- 5♀︎ Venus22:41 – 23:36
- 6☿︎ Mercury23:36 – 00:30
- 7☽︎ Moon00:30 – 01:25
- 8♄︎ Saturn01:25 – 02:19
- 9♃︎ Jupiter02:19 – 03:14
- 10♂︎ Mars03:14 – 04:08
- 11☉︎ Sun04:08 – 05:03
- 12♀︎ Venus05:03 – 05:57
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Cape Town?
On Tuesday, 20 October 2026, the Sun rises at 05:58 and sets at 19:03: the day lasts 13h 05m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 05m. The night, until the next sunrise at 05:57, lasts 10h 54m: twelve night hours of 54 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mars, from 05:58 to 07:04: the first hour of a day always goes to the planet of the weekday. The next ones follow the Chaldean order: the Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, then Mars 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.