Free Astrology Calculator
Rising Sign Calculator
Your rising sign, or Ascendant, is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment you were born. It describes your manner and the way you meet the world. It changes about every two hours, so it needs your birth time and birthplace.
What Your Rising Sign Describes
The rising sign is the doorway of the chart. It describes your instinctive approach to new situations, your physical presence and the impression you make before people know you well. It also sets the houses: the rising sign begins the 1st house, so it decides which area of life every other planet falls in. Read the full guide to what the rising sign means.
How the Rising Sign Is Calculated
As the Earth turns, the whole zodiac passes over the eastern horizon once a day. The calculator converts your local birth time to Universal Time, finds the sidereal time at your birthplace's longitude, and works out which degree of the ecliptic was crossing the horizon at your latitude. That degree is your Ascendant, and its sign is your rising sign.
Signs do not rise at an even pace. At 40 degrees north, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Pisces and Aries each take about 72 minutes to rise, while Virgo and Libra take about 150 minutes. Far from the equator the difference grows, which is why some rising signs are more common than others.
Why Your Birth Time Matters So Much
The Ascendant moves about one degree every four minutes. A birth time rounded to the nearest half hour can move it by seven degrees, enough to change the sign if you were born near a cusp. The result tells you how many minutes earlier or later your rising sign would have changed, so you can judge how much your recorded time matters. If you are unsure of your time, birth time rectification is how astrologers narrow it down.
How Accurate Is It?
Positions come from Selfgazer's astrology engine, the same one that draws the chart in your astro room: VSOP87 planetary theory through Astronomy Engine, with Chiron from Swiss Ephemeris tables. Tested against the Swiss Ephemeris, planets agree to within half an arcminute and house cusps to within a tenth of an arcminute. Your local birth time is converted with your birthplace's historical time zone rules, including past daylight saving changes. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing you enter is stored.
How Long Each Rising Sign Lasts
Minutes each sign takes to cross the eastern horizon over one day, at the equator, at 40 degrees north and at 52 degrees north (London, Berlin, Calgary). South of the equator the pattern reverses: the long signs rise quickly and the short ones slowly.
| Sign | Equator | 40° North | 52° North |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | 1 h 51 min | 1 h 12 min | 51 min |
| Taurus | 1 h 59 min | 1 h 27 min | 1 h 08 min |
| Gemini | 2 h 08 min | 1 h 55 min | 1 h 46 min |
| Cancer | 2 h 08 min | 2 h 22 min | 2 h 31 min |
| Leo | 1 h 59 min | 2 h 32 min | 2 h 51 min |
| Virgo | 1 h 51 min | 2 h 30 min | 2 h 51 min |
| Libra | 1 h 51 min | 2 h 30 min | 2 h 51 min |
| Scorpio | 1 h 59 min | 2 h 32 min | 2 h 51 min |
| Sagittarius | 2 h 08 min | 2 h 22 min | 2 h 31 min |
| Capricorn | 2 h 08 min | 1 h 55 min | 1 h 46 min |
| Aquarius | 1 h 59 min | 1 h 27 min | 1 h 08 min |
| Pisces | 1 h 51 min | 1 h 12 min | 51 min |
Rising Sign Questions
What Is My Rising Sign?
Your rising sign is the zodiac sign on the eastern horizon at your birth. Enter your birth date, exact time and birthplace in the calculator above to find it, along with its degree.
Can I Find My Rising Sign Without a Birth Time?
No. The rising sign passes through all twelve signs in a single day, so without a time any sign is possible. If you know roughly when you were born (morning, afternoon), try a time in that window and see whether the sign stays the same.
Is the Rising Sign the Same as the Ascendant?
Yes. The Ascendant is the exact degree rising on the eastern horizon, and the rising sign is the sign that degree falls in.
Why Is My Rising Sign Different on Another Site?
Small differences in birth time, the time zone or the birthplace coordinates can move the Ascendant several degrees. Check that the time is the local clock time on your birth certificate and that the birthplace is right. The calculator applies historical time zone and daylight saving rules for that place.
What Is the Difference Between Rising Sign and Sun Sign?
The Sun sign comes from the date and describes your core identity. The rising sign comes from the time and place and describes your manner and first impressions. People often say the rising sign is how others see you and the Sun is who you are.