Sun, Moon and Rising Calculator

Astrology reads a whole birth chart, but most people start with three placements. Together they're called the big three, and they're the answer to "what is my sun, moon and rising sign?"

Sun sign. The zodiac sign the Sun was in on your birthday. It's the one you already know from horoscopes, and astrologers tie it to your core identity, motivation and the way you want to shine.

Moon sign. The sign the Moon was in when you were born. It points to your emotional side: how you react when you're tired or stressed, and what helps you feel safe. The moon sign calculator goes deeper on this one.

Rising sign. Also called the Ascendant, this is the sign on the eastern horizon at the moment of your birth. It's linked to first impressions, your style and how you walk into a new situation. The rising sign calculator covers it in detail.

That last row is why people with the same birthday can have very different charts. The Sun barely moves from one day to the next, while the rising sign cycles through all twelve signs in a day.

None of the three works alone. Astrologers read them as a short sentence: the Sun is who you are, the Moon is how you feel, and the Rising is how you show up.

• Leo Sun, Cancer Moon, Capricorn Rising. Looks composed and a little reserved at first, feels things quietly and deeply, and has a warm, generous streak that comes out with people they trust.
• Gemini Sun, Scorpio Moon, Libra Rising. Easygoing and charming on the surface, curious about everything, with an intense and private emotional life underneath.
• Pisces Sun, Aries Moon, Sagittarius Rising. Open, upbeat and always up for a plan, with a dreamy core and quick, fiery reactions when something matters.

Your own combination is just one version of this. When two of your three share an element, such as fire or water, that element tends to feel strong in you. When they don't, it can feel like different parts of you want different things.

The Moon changes sign about every two and a half days. If you don't know your birth time, we can still show your sun and moon signs, and we'll tell you if the Moon changed sign on your birthday.

The rising sign is different. It changes about every two hours, so it can't be worked out without a time and a place. Even a few minutes' difference can move it if you were born near a sign boundary. Your birth certificate is the best place to look.

We use astronomical positions for the Sun, Moon and Ascendant at your birth moment, and place your three signs in houses with the Placidus system. Your birthplace comes from a built-in city list, which gives us the coordinates and the time zone. The result shows the UTC offset we used, so you can check it. If you were born before 1970, you can enter the offset yourself, since old time zone rules are a common source of mismatches.

• Your sun, moon and rising signs, each with its degree, house, element and modality.
• A one-line meaning for your rising sign and your moon sign.
• The UTC offset used for your birth time.

This page is free and has no reading to buy. For every other planet, the houses and a written interpretation, open your birth chart.