Planetary hours
in Essen.
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 December 2026: day of Mercury
- Sunrise
- 08:31
- Sunset
- 16:23
- Next sunrise
- 08:32
A day hour lasts 39 min; a night hour, 1h 21m. Local time (Europe/Berlin).
Day
- 1☿︎ Mercury08:31 – 09:10
- 2☽︎ Moon09:10 – 09:50
- 3♄︎ Saturn09:50 – 10:29
- 4♃︎ Jupiter10:29 – 11:08
- 5♂︎ Mars11:08 – 11:48
- 6☉︎ Sun11:48 – 12:27
- 7♀︎ Venus12:27 – 13:06
- 8☿︎ Mercury13:06 – 13:46
- 9☽︎ Moon13:46 – 14:25
- 10♄︎ Saturn14:25 – 15:04
- 11♃︎ Jupiter15:04 – 15:44
- 12♂︎ Mars15:44 – 16:23
Night
- 1☉︎ Sun16:23 – 17:44
- 2♀︎ Venus17:44 – 19:04
- 3☿︎ Mercury19:04 – 20:25
- 4☽︎ Moon20:25 – 21:46
- 5♄︎ Saturn21:46 – 23:07
- 6♃︎ Jupiter23:07 – 00:27
- 7♂︎ Mars00:27 – 01:48
- 8☉︎ Sun01:48 – 03:09
- 9♀︎ Venus03:09 – 04:30
- 10☿︎ Mercury04:30 – 05:50
- 11☽︎ Moon05:50 – 07:11
- 12♄︎ Saturn07:11 – 08:32
Other cities · Germany
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Essen?
On Wednesday, 16 December 2026, the Sun rises at 08:31 and sets at 16:23: the day lasts 7h 52m, that is twelve day hours of 39 min. The night, until the next sunrise at 08:32, lasts 16h 09m: twelve night hours of 1h 21m.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mercury, from 08:31 to 09:10: 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.