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, 18 November 2026: day of Mercury
- Sunrise
- 04:53
- Sunset
- 18:33
- Next sunrise
- 04:53
A day hour lasts 1h 08m; a night hour, 52 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1☿︎ Mercury04:53 – 06:02
- 2☽︎ Moon06:02 – 07:10
- 3♄︎ Saturn07:10 – 08:18
- 4♃︎ Jupiter08:18 – 09:27
- 5♂︎ Mars09:27 – 10:35
- 6☉︎ Sun10:35 – 11:43
- 7♀︎ Venus11:43 – 12:52
- 8☿︎ Mercury12:52 – 14:00
- 9☽︎ Moon14:00 – 15:08
- 10♄︎ Saturn15:08 – 16:17
- 11♃︎ Jupiter16:17 – 17:25
- 12♂︎ Mars17:25 – 18:33
Night
- 1☉︎ Sun18:33 – 19:25
- 2♀︎ Venus19:25 – 20:17
- 3☿︎ Mercury20:17 – 21:08
- 4☽︎ Moon21:08 – 22:00
- 5♄︎ Saturn22:00 – 22:51
- 6♃︎ Jupiter22:51 – 23:43
- 7♂︎ Mars23:43 – 00:35
- 8☉︎ Sun00:35 – 01:26
- 9♀︎ Venus01:26 – 02:18
- 10☿︎ Mercury02:18 – 03:10
- 11☽︎ Moon03:10 – 04:01
- 12♄︎ Saturn04:01 – 04:53
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Pietermaritzburg?
On Wednesday, 18 November 2026, the Sun rises at 04:53 and sets at 18:33: the day lasts 13h 40m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 08m. The night, until the next sunrise at 04:53, lasts 10h 19m: twelve night hours of 52 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mercury, from 04:53 to 06:02: 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.