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, 30 December 2026: day of Mercury
- Sunrise
- 05:00
- Sunset
- 19:01
- Next sunrise
- 05:00
A day hour lasts 1h 10m; a night hour, 50 min. Local time (Africa/Johannesburg).
Day
- 1☿︎ Mercury05:00 – 06:10
- 2☽︎ Moon06:10 – 07:20
- 3♄︎ Saturn07:20 – 08:30
- 4♃︎ Jupiter08:30 – 09:40
- 5♂︎ Mars09:40 – 10:50
- 6☉︎ Sun10:50 – 12:00
- 7♀︎ Venus12:00 – 13:10
- 8☿︎ Mercury13:10 – 14:21
- 9☽︎ Moon14:21 – 15:31
- 10♄︎ Saturn15:31 – 16:41
- 11♃︎ Jupiter16:41 – 17:51
- 12♂︎ Mars17:51 – 19:01
Night
- 1☉︎ Sun19:01 – 19:51
- 2♀︎ Venus19:51 – 20:41
- 3☿︎ Mercury20:41 – 21:31
- 4☽︎ Moon21:31 – 22:21
- 5♄︎ Saturn22:21 – 23:11
- 6♃︎ Jupiter23:11 – 00:01
- 7♂︎ Mars00:01 – 00:51
- 8☉︎ Sun00:51 – 01:41
- 9♀︎ Venus01:41 – 02:30
- 10☿︎ Mercury02:30 – 03:20
- 11☽︎ Moon03:20 – 04:10
- 12♄︎ Saturn04:10 – 05:00
Other cities · South Africa
Questions
How are the planetary hours calculated in Pietermaritzburg?
On Wednesday, 30 December 2026, the Sun rises at 05:00 and sets at 19:01: the day lasts 14h 01m, that is twelve day hours of 1h 10m. The night, until the next sunrise at 05:00, lasts 9h 59m: twelve night hours of 50 min.
Which planet rules the first hour that day?
Mercury, from 05:00 to 06:10: 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.