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 Friday, 18 December 2026: day of Venus
- Sunrise
- 05:30
- Sunset
- 19:55
- Next sunrise
- 05:30
A day hour lasts 1h 12m; a night hour, 48 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1♀︎ Venus05:30 – 06:42
- 2☿︎ Mercury06:42 – 07:54
- 3☽︎ Moon07:54 – 09:06
- 4♄︎ Saturn09:06 – 10:18
- 5♃︎ Jupiter10:18 – 11:30
- 6♂︎ Mars11:30 – 12:42
- 7☉︎ Sun12:42 – 13:54
- 8♀︎ Venus13:54 – 15:07
- 9☿︎ Mercury15:07 – 16:19
- 10☽︎ Moon16:19 – 17:31
- 11♄︎ Saturn17:31 – 18:43
- 12♃︎ Jupiter18:43 – 19:55
Night
- 1♂︎ Mars19:55 – 20:43
- 2☉︎ Sun20:43 – 21:31
- 3♀︎ Venus21:31 – 22:19
- 4☿︎ Mercury22:19 – 23:07
- 5☽︎ Moon23:07 – 23:55
- 6♄︎ Saturn23:55 – 00:43
- 7♃︎ Jupiter00:43 – 01:31
- 8♂︎ Mars01:31 – 02:19
- 9☉︎ Sun02:19 – 03:07
- 10♀︎ Venus03:07 – 03:54
- 11☿︎ Mercury03:54 – 04:42
- 12☽︎ Moon04:42 – 05:30
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Cape Town?
On Friday, 18 December 2026, the Sun rises at 05:30 and sets at 19:55: the day lasts 14h 25m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 12m. The night, until the next sunrise at 05:30, lasts 9h 36m: twelve night hours of 48 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Venus, from 05:30 to 06:42: the first hour of a day always goes to the planet of the weekday. The next ones follow the Chaldean order: Mercury, the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, then Venus 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.