Planetary hours
in Pietermaritzburg.
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, 16 October 2026: day of Venus
- Sunrise
- 05:19
- Sunset
- 18:08
- Next sunrise
- 05:18
A day hour lasts 1h 04m; a night hour, 56 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1♀︎ Venus05:19 – 06:23
- 2☿︎ Mercury06:23 – 07:27
- 3☽︎ Moon07:27 – 08:32
- 4♄︎ Saturn08:32 – 09:36
- 5♃︎ Jupiter09:36 – 10:40
- 6♂︎ Mars10:40 – 11:44
- 7☉︎ Sun11:44 – 12:48
- 8♀︎ Venus12:48 – 13:52
- 9☿︎ Mercury13:52 – 14:56
- 10☽︎ Moon14:56 – 16:00
- 11♄︎ Saturn16:00 – 17:04
- 12♃︎ Jupiter17:04 – 18:08
Night
- 1♂︎ Mars18:08 – 19:04
- 2☉︎ Sun19:04 – 20:00
- 3♀︎ Venus20:00 – 20:56
- 4☿︎ Mercury20:56 – 21:52
- 5☽︎ Moon21:52 – 22:47
- 6♄︎ Saturn22:47 – 23:43
- 7♃︎ Jupiter23:43 – 00:39
- 8♂︎ Mars00:39 – 01:35
- 9☉︎ Sun01:35 – 02:31
- 10♀︎ Venus02:31 – 03:27
- 11☿︎ Mercury03:27 – 04:22
- 12☽︎ Moon04:22 – 05:18
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Pietermaritzburg?
On Friday, 16 October 2026, the Sun rises at 05:19 and sets at 18:08: the day lasts 12h 49m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 04m. The night, until the next sunrise at 05:18, lasts 11h 10m: twelve night hours of 56 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Venus, from 05:19 to 06:23: 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.