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, 9 December 2026: day of Mercury
- Sunrise
- 04:50
- Sunset
- 18:50
- Next sunrise
- 04:51
A day hour lasts 1h 10m; a night hour, 50 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1☿︎ Mercury04:50 – 06:00
- 2☽︎ Moon06:00 – 07:10
- 3♄︎ Saturn07:10 – 08:20
- 4♃︎ Jupiter08:20 – 09:30
- 5♂︎ Mars09:30 – 10:40
- 6☉︎ Sun10:40 – 11:50
- 7♀︎ Venus11:50 – 13:00
- 8☿︎ Mercury13:00 – 14:10
- 9☽︎ Moon14:10 – 15:20
- 10♄︎ Saturn15:20 – 16:30
- 11♃︎ Jupiter16:30 – 17:40
- 12♂︎ Mars17:40 – 18:50
Night
- 1☉︎ Sun18:50 – 19:40
- 2♀︎ Venus19:40 – 20:30
- 3☿︎ Mercury20:30 – 21:20
- 4☽︎ Moon21:20 – 22:10
- 5♄︎ Saturn22:10 – 23:00
- 6♃︎ Jupiter23:00 – 23:50
- 7♂︎ Mars23:50 – 00:40
- 8☉︎ Sun00:40 – 01:30
- 9♀︎ Venus01:30 – 02:21
- 10☿︎ Mercury02:21 – 03:11
- 11☽︎ Moon03:11 – 04:01
- 12♄︎ Saturn04:01 – 04:51
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Pietermaritzburg?
On Wednesday, 9 December 2026, the Sun rises at 04:50 and sets at 18:50: the day lasts 14h 00m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 10m. The night, until the next sunrise at 04:51, lasts 10h 01m: twelve night hours of 50 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mercury, 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: 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.