Sun, Moon and Rising Calculator
Type your birth date, time and place to see your sun, moon and rising signs together.
Why astrologers start with three signs
When someone asks for your sign, they mean the Sun. Astrologers usually want two more before they say anything: the Moon and the rising sign. Together these are called the big three, and each answers a different question.
The sun sign is the core of the personality, the part you grow into. The moon sign is the emotional life underneath it. The rising sign is the front door, the style other people meet first. A Leo Sun with a Capricorn Moon and a Virgo rising is read very differently from a Leo with a Sagittarius Moon and Leo rising.
Each needs a different amount of detail. The Sun needs only the date, except on the cusp days. The Moon may need the time. The rising sign needs the exact time and place, and it is left blank, not guessed, when the time is unknown.
The three parts at a glance
| Part | Changes every | Needs | Describes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 30 days or so | Date (time on cusp days) | Core self, purpose |
| Moon | About 2.5 days | Date, time on change days | Feelings, needs, habits |
| Rising | About 2 hours | Exact time and place | First impression, approach |
Worked examples
- Born 1990-03-05 at 10:00 in New York: Pisces Sun, Cancer Moon, and rising
Gemini - Born 1985-11-29 at 08:15 in London: Sagittarius Sun and Moon in
Geminiwith Sagittarius rising, so the Sun is close to the ascendant. - Born 2004-02-14 at 04:25 in Los Angeles: Aquarius Sun, Sagittarius Moon, rising
Capricorn - Born 1990-03-07 with no time: the Moon is
Cancer or Leoand the rising sign is hidden.
How this is calculated
Sun and Moon: apparent geocentric ecliptic longitudes of date from astronomy-engine. Rising sign: the Ascendant from apparent sidereal time, east longitude and true obliquity, as on the rising sign page. Without a time the Ascendant is not computed and the day is searched for Sun and Moon sign changes.