Sun, Moon and Rising Calculator
Your sun, moon and rising signs together. Sun and moon work from your birth date alone; the rising sign needs your birth time and place.
Result
Enter your birth date, time and place and press Calculate. Your result appears here as plain text you can copy or share.
Worked example
Born 5 May 1990, 15:30 in London
Sun in Taurus, Moon in Virgo, Virgo rising
Sun 14°50′ · Moon 28°29′ · Ascendant 23°21′
- 15:30 in London on 5 May 1990 was British Summer Time (UTC+1), so the birth instant is 14:30 UTC.
- Local sidereal time at London’s longitude (0.13°W) gives a right ascension of the midheaven (RAMC) of 80.58°.
- With London’s latitude (51.51°N) and the tilt of the Earth’s axis, the point of the ecliptic rising in the east is 173.35°: Virgo 23°21′.
- The Sun at that instant is in Taurus 14°50′ and the Moon in Virgo 28°29′.
Rising sign through one day
The rising sign across 5 May 1990 in London
Every sign takes a turn as the ascendant once a day, and the changeovers fall at different clock times in each place and season. Times are local (British Summer Time). The first and last rows can be the same sign: it carries over midnight, so the day starts and ends in it.
| Sign | From (local) | Until (local) |
|---|---|---|
| Sagittarius | Midnight | 00:23 |
| Capricorn | 00:23 | 02:09 |
| Aquarius | 02:09 | 03:18 |
| Pisces | 03:18 | 04:10 |
| Aries | 04:10 | 05:02 |
| Taurus | 05:02 | 06:11 |
| Gemini | 06:11 | 07:57 |
| Cancer | 07:57 | 10:28 |
| Leo | 10:28 | 13:18 |
| Virgo | 13:18 | 16:08 |
| Libra | 16:08 | 18:58 |
| Scorpio | 18:58 | 21:48 |
| Sagittarius | 21:48 | Midnight |
Meanings
What each sign is traditionally linked with
Sun sign
- An Aries sun is traditionally associated with a direct, pioneering nature that likes to start things and act first.
- A Taurus sun is traditionally linked with steadiness, patience and a love of comfort, beauty and things that last.
- A Gemini sun is traditionally associated with curiosity, quick talk and a mind that wants to try everything once.
- A Cancer sun is traditionally associated with a protective, home-loving nature and a long memory for feelings.
- A Leo sun is traditionally linked with warmth, generosity and a wish to create and be seen doing it.
- A Virgo sun is traditionally associated with a careful, useful nature that notices detail and likes to improve things.
- A Libra sun is traditionally linked with fairness, charm and a need for balance and good company.
- A Scorpio sun is traditionally associated with intensity, privacy and a wish to get to the bottom of things.
- A Sagittarius sun is traditionally linked with optimism, candour and an appetite for travel, ideas and meaning.
- A Capricorn sun is traditionally associated with ambition, patience and a talent for building steadily towards a goal.
- An Aquarius sun is traditionally linked with independence, ideals and an interest in groups and the future.
- A Pisces sun is traditionally associated with imagination, sensitivity and a strong feel for other people’s moods.
Moon sign
- An Aries moon is traditionally associated with quick, honest feelings that flare up and pass just as fast.
- A Taurus moon is traditionally linked with emotional steadiness and comfort found in routine, food and touch.
- A Gemini moon is traditionally associated with working through feelings by talking, reading and staying busy.
- A Cancer moon is traditionally linked with deep feeling, a need for a safe home and strong family ties.
- A Leo moon is traditionally associated with a need for warmth and appreciation, and with feelings shown openly and generously.
- A Virgo moon is traditionally linked with finding calm in order, small routines and being useful to others.
- A Libra moon is traditionally associated with a need for harmony, fairness and close partnership.
- A Scorpio moon is traditionally linked with private, intense feelings and deep loyalty once trust is earned.
- A Sagittarius moon is traditionally associated with needing freedom, space and something to look forward to.
- A Capricorn moon is traditionally linked with self-reliance and feelings kept in check until it feels safe to share them.
- An Aquarius moon is traditionally associated with emotional independence and comfort found in friendship and causes.
- A Pisces moon is traditionally linked with sensitivity, empathy and a rich inner world of dreams and moods.
Rising sign
- Aries rising is traditionally associated with a direct, energetic first impression and a ready-for-anything approach.
- Taurus rising is traditionally linked with a calm, grounded manner and an unhurried approach to life.
- Gemini rising is traditionally associated with a lively, talkative first impression and a quick wit.
- Cancer rising is traditionally linked with a gentle, caring manner and a guarded first approach.
- Leo rising is traditionally associated with a warm, confident presence that is easy to notice.
- Virgo rising is traditionally linked with a neat, modest manner and an observant approach.
- Libra rising is traditionally associated with a charming, polite first impression and an eye for style.
- Scorpio rising is traditionally linked with a magnetic, reserved presence that gives little away.
- Sagittarius rising is traditionally associated with an open, friendly manner and a restless streak.
- Capricorn rising is traditionally linked with a composed, serious first impression and quiet ambition.
- Aquarius rising is traditionally associated with a friendly but detached manner and an unconventional style.
- Pisces rising is traditionally linked with a soft, dreamy presence and a sensitive approach.
Guide
Making sense of your result
How the big three fit together
Traditionally the sun describes core identity and drive, the moon describes emotional needs and habits, and the rising sign describes how you come across. A chart reading weighs how the three agree or pull against each other, but they are three separate placements: each has its own calculator, at sun sign, moon sign and rising sign.
Go further than the big three
The same birth details give you the other planets and points: Venus, Mars, Mercury and the midheaven.
If your birth time is uncertain
Your sun sign, and usually your moon sign, do not need a birth time. Only the rising sign does. How the calculators handle an unknown birth time explains what to do when you do not have one.
Time and place
Why your birth time and place matter
Three speeds
The Sun moves about 1° a day, so the date is nearly always enough. The Moon moves about 13° a day and changes sign every two to three days. The ascendant moves through all twelve signs every day, so it needs the minute and the place.
Method
How this calculator works
Your birth time is converted to UTC using the time zone in force at your birth place on that date. astronomy-engine computes the Sun and Moon along the ecliptic for that instant, and local sidereal time with your latitude gives the ascendant. All three are measured in the tropical zodiac most Western astrologers use.
Questions
Sun, Moon and Rising questions
What are the big three in astrology?
Your sun, moon and rising signs. Traditionally the sun describes your core self, the moon your emotional needs and the rising sign how you meet the world.
Do I need my birth time?
For the rising sign, yes. Without a time you still get your sun sign and your moon sign, with both possibilities shown if the Moon changed sign that day.
Why is my moon or rising sign different on another site?
Usually the time zone applied to the birth time, or the sidereal zodiac used by Vedic sites, which sits about 24° behind the tropical zodiac used here.
Which of the three matters most?
Astrologers read them together. The sun is the best known, but many give the moon and rising equal weight in describing a personality.
Can two people have the same big three?
Yes, but it is uncommon. With twelve possible signs for each of the three there are 1,728 combinations, and the rising sign depends on the minute and place of birth, so even people born on the same day usually differ.
Does my birth place change my sun or moon sign?
Rarely. The sun and moon positions depend on the instant of birth, not the place; the place matters because it sets the time zone used to convert your birth time, and it fixes the rising sign.