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 Tuesday, 15 December 2026: day of Mars
- Sunrise
- 04:52
- Sunset
- 18:54
- Next sunrise
- 04:52
A day hour lasts 1h 10m; a night hour, 50 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1♂︎ Mars04:52 – 06:02
- 2☉︎ Sun06:02 – 07:12
- 3♀︎ Venus07:12 – 08:23
- 4☿︎ Mercury08:23 – 09:33
- 5☽︎ Moon09:33 – 10:43
- 6♄︎ Saturn10:43 – 11:53
- 7♃︎ Jupiter11:53 – 13:03
- 8♂︎ Mars13:03 – 14:13
- 9☉︎ Sun14:13 – 15:24
- 10♀︎ Venus15:24 – 16:34
- 11☿︎ Mercury16:34 – 17:44
- 12☽︎ Moon17:44 – 18:54
Night
- 1♄︎ Saturn18:54 – 19:44
- 2♃︎ Jupiter19:44 – 20:34
- 3♂︎ Mars20:34 – 21:24
- 4☉︎ Sun21:24 – 22:14
- 5♀︎ Venus22:14 – 23:03
- 6☿︎ Mercury23:03 – 23:53
- 7☽︎ Moon23:53 – 00:43
- 8♄︎ Saturn00:43 – 01:33
- 9♃︎ Jupiter01:33 – 02:23
- 10♂︎ Mars02:23 – 03:13
- 11☉︎ Sun03:13 – 04:02
- 12♀︎ Venus04:02 – 04:52
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Pietermaritzburg?
On Tuesday, 15 December 2026, the Sun rises at 04:52 and sets at 18:54: the day lasts 14h 02m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 10m. The night, until the next sunrise at 04:52, lasts 9h 58m: twelve night hours of 50 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mars, from 04:52 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 Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, then Mars 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.