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 Sunday, 18 October 2026: day of the Sun
- Sunrise
- 05:17
- Sunset
- 18:09
- Next sunrise
- 05:16
A day hour lasts 1h 04m; a night hour, 56 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1☉︎ Sun05:17 – 06:22
- 2♀︎ Venus06:22 – 07:26
- 3☿︎ Mercury07:26 – 08:30
- 4☽︎ Moon08:30 – 09:35
- 5♄︎ Saturn09:35 – 10:39
- 6♃︎ Jupiter10:39 – 11:43
- 7♂︎ Mars11:43 – 12:48
- 8☉︎ Sun12:48 – 13:52
- 9♀︎ Venus13:52 – 14:56
- 10☿︎ Mercury14:56 – 16:01
- 11☽︎ Moon16:01 – 17:05
- 12♄︎ Saturn17:05 – 18:09
Night
- 1♃︎ Jupiter18:09 – 19:05
- 2♂︎ Mars19:05 – 20:01
- 3☉︎ Sun20:01 – 20:56
- 4♀︎ Venus20:56 – 21:52
- 5☿︎ Mercury21:52 – 22:47
- 6☽︎ Moon22:47 – 23:43
- 7♄︎ Saturn23:43 – 00:38
- 8♃︎ Jupiter00:38 – 01:34
- 9♂︎ Mars01:34 – 02:29
- 10☉︎ Sun02:29 – 03:25
- 11♀︎ Venus03:25 – 04:21
- 12☿︎ Mercury04:21 – 05:16
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Pietermaritzburg?
On Sunday, 18 October 2026, the Sun rises at 05:17 and sets at 18:09: the day lasts 12h 52m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 04m. The night, until the next sunrise at 05:16, lasts 11h 07m: twelve night hours of 56 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
The Sun, from 05:17 to 06:22: the first hour of a day always goes to the planet of the weekday. The next ones follow the Chaldean order: Venus, Mercury, the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, then the Sun 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.