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, 4 December 2026: day of Venus
- Sunrise
- 04:50
- Sunset
- 18:46
- Next sunrise
- 04:50
A day hour lasts 1h 10m; a night hour, 50 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1♀︎ Venus04:50 – 06:00
- 2☿︎ Mercury06:00 – 07:09
- 3☽︎ Moon07:09 – 08:19
- 4♄︎ Saturn08:19 – 09:29
- 5♃︎ Jupiter09:29 – 10:38
- 6♂︎ Mars10:38 – 11:48
- 7☉︎ Sun11:48 – 12:58
- 8♀︎ Venus12:58 – 14:08
- 9☿︎ Mercury14:08 – 15:17
- 10☽︎ Moon15:17 – 16:27
- 11♄︎ Saturn16:27 – 17:37
- 12♃︎ Jupiter17:37 – 18:46
Night
- 1♂︎ Mars18:46 – 19:37
- 2☉︎ Sun19:37 – 20:27
- 3♀︎ Venus20:27 – 21:17
- 4☿︎ Mercury21:17 – 22:08
- 5☽︎ Moon22:08 – 22:58
- 6♄︎ Saturn22:58 – 23:48
- 7♃︎ Jupiter23:48 – 00:39
- 8♂︎ Mars00:39 – 01:29
- 9☉︎ Sun01:29 – 02:19
- 10♀︎ Venus02:19 – 03:09
- 11☿︎ Mercury03:09 – 04:00
- 12☽︎ Moon04:00 – 04:50
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Pietermaritzburg?
On Friday, 4 December 2026, the Sun rises at 04:50 and sets at 18:46: the day lasts 13h 56m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 10m. The night, until the next sunrise at 04:50, lasts 10h 04m: twelve night hours of 50 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Venus, from 04:50 to 06:00: 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.