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 Saturday, 12 December 2026: day of Saturn
- Sunrise
- 04:51
- Sunset
- 18:52
- Next sunrise
- 04:51
A day hour lasts 1h 10m; a night hour, 50 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1♄︎ Saturn04:51 – 06:01
- 2♃︎ Jupiter06:01 – 07:11
- 3♂︎ Mars07:11 – 08:21
- 4☉︎ Sun08:21 – 09:31
- 5♀︎ Venus09:31 – 10:42
- 6☿︎ Mercury10:42 – 11:52
- 7☽︎ Moon11:52 – 13:02
- 8♄︎ Saturn13:02 – 14:12
- 9♃︎ Jupiter14:12 – 15:22
- 10♂︎ Mars15:22 – 16:32
- 11☉︎ Sun16:32 – 17:42
- 12♀︎ Venus17:42 – 18:52
Night
- 1☿︎ Mercury18:52 – 19:42
- 2☽︎ Moon19:42 – 20:32
- 3♄︎ Saturn20:32 – 21:22
- 4♃︎ Jupiter21:22 – 22:12
- 5♂︎ Mars22:12 – 23:02
- 6☉︎ Sun23:02 – 23:52
- 7♀︎ Venus23:52 – 00:42
- 8☿︎ Mercury00:42 – 01:32
- 9☽︎ Moon01:32 – 02:22
- 10♄︎ Saturn02:22 – 03:12
- 11♃︎ Jupiter03:12 – 04:01
- 12♂︎ Mars04:01 – 04:51
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Pietermaritzburg?
On Saturday, 12 December 2026, the Sun rises at 04:51 and sets at 18:52: the day lasts 14h 01m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 10m. The night, until the next sunrise at 04:51, lasts 9h 59m: twelve night hours of 50 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Saturn, from 04:51 to 06:01: the first hour of a day always goes to the planet of the weekday. The next ones follow the Chaldean order: Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, then Saturn 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.