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 Wednesday, 21 October 2026: day of Mercury
- Sunrise
- 05:14
- Sunset
- 18:12
- Next sunrise
- 05:13
A day hour lasts 1h 05m; a night hour, 55 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1☿︎ Mercury05:14 – 06:19
- 2☽︎ Moon06:19 – 07:24
- 3♄︎ Saturn07:24 – 08:28
- 4♃︎ Jupiter08:28 – 09:33
- 5♂︎ Mars09:33 – 10:38
- 6☉︎ Sun10:38 – 11:43
- 7♀︎ Venus11:43 – 12:48
- 8☿︎ Mercury12:48 – 13:52
- 9☽︎ Moon13:52 – 14:57
- 10♄︎ Saturn14:57 – 16:02
- 11♃︎ Jupiter16:02 – 17:07
- 12♂︎ Mars17:07 – 18:12
Night
- 1☉︎ Sun18:12 – 19:07
- 2♀︎ Venus19:07 – 20:02
- 3☿︎ Mercury20:02 – 20:57
- 4☽︎ Moon20:57 – 21:52
- 5♄︎ Saturn21:52 – 22:47
- 6♃︎ Jupiter22:47 – 23:42
- 7♂︎ Mars23:42 – 00:37
- 8☉︎ Sun00:37 – 01:33
- 9♀︎ Venus01:33 – 02:28
- 10☿︎ Mercury02:28 – 03:23
- 11☽︎ Moon03:23 – 04:18
- 12♄︎ Saturn04:18 – 05:13
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Pietermaritzburg?
On Wednesday, 21 October 2026, the Sun rises at 05:14 and sets at 18:12: the day lasts 12h 57m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 05m. The night, until the next sunrise at 05:13, lasts 11h 02m: twelve night hours of 55 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mercury, from 05:14 to 06:19: 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.