- Home
- Zodiac Sign Calculator
Zodiac Sign Calculator
Find your sun sign from your date of birth, then add a birth time for the exact cusp answer, your Moon sign and your sidereal and Chinese signs.
- ✓ Free
- ✓ No sign-up
- ✓ Share-ready
Rising sign needs your birth place as well as your time, so this calculator leaves it out. Moon positions are accurate to about 0.3°; sun positions to about 0.01°.
A zodiac sign calculator finds your sun sign from your date of birth: the sign of the zodiac the Sun was passing through on the day you were born. Enter your birthday and the calculator returns your sign with its dates, element, modality and ruling planet. Add a birth time and it places the Sun to a fraction of a degree, settles any cusp question and adds your Moon sign.
The calculator gives 4 main benefits: an instant sun sign, an exact answer for cusp birthdays, your Moon, sidereal (Vedic) and constellation signs, and your Chinese zodiac animal with its element. People use it for horoscopes, compatibility checks, birthday gifts and fun. It has 5 parts: the date field, an optional birth time and time zone, the result panel, a cusp alert and an interactive zodiac wheel.
What Is a Zodiac Sign?
A zodiac sign is one of 12 equal 30° sections of the Sun's yearly path across the sky, used in astrology to describe the time of year someone was born. The path is called the ecliptic. Western astrology starts the count at the March equinox, 0° Aries, so the signs stay tied to the seasons. That is the tropical zodiac.
The signs took their names from constellations about 2,000 years ago. Since then, Earth's axis has wobbled, a slow circle that takes about 26,000 years and is called the precession of the equinoxes. Earth's axis points at Polaris today; in about 12,000 years Vega will be the pole star. The wobble has shifted the constellations about 1 sign along, which is why your "true sign", the constellation behind the Sun, often differs from your zodiac sign.
The zodiac wheel
The year divided into 12 signs, coloured by element. Your birth date turns the wheel to your sign; tap any segment to explore it.
Aries
Tap a sign on the wheel, or enter your date of birth in the calculator.
Astrology is a cultural tradition, not a science. In a double-blind test published in Nature in 1985, astrologers could not match birth charts to personality profiles better than chance.
How to Use the Zodiac Sign Calculator
To use the zodiac sign calculator, enter your date of birth, add your birth time and time zone if you know them, and press Find my sign. The process takes 4 steps.
- Date of birth03/20/1996Enter your date of birth.
This alone gives your sun sign, element and Chinese zodiac.
- Birth time optional08:15Add your birth time.
Needed for a cusp birthday and for an exact Moon sign.
- Time zone of birthUTC+5:00 ▾Pick the time zone.
Choose the zone of the place you were born, not where you live now.
- ☉ Aries 0.4°☽ LeoRead your signs.
Sun sign, Sun degree, Moon, sidereal, constellation and Chinese signs.
Without a birth time, the calculator uses noon and tells you when the Sun or Moon changed sign during your birthday. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Zodiac Sign Dates – All 12 Zodiac Signs
The 12 zodiac sign dates run from Aries (March 21 – April 19) to Pisces (February 19 – March 20). Each sign covers 29 to 32 calendar days, and each belongs to 1 of 4 elements.
Aries
Mar 21 – Apr 19Fire · Cardinal · 30 daysRuler: MarsTaurus
Apr 20 – May 20Earth · Fixed · 31 daysRuler: VenusGemini
May 21 – Jun 20Air · Mutable · 31 daysRuler: MercuryCancer
Jun 21 – Jul 22Water · Cardinal · 32 daysRuler: MoonLeo
Jul 23 – Aug 22Fire · Fixed · 31 daysRuler: SunVirgo
Aug 23 – Sep 22Earth · Mutable · 31 daysRuler: MercuryLibra
Sep 23 – Oct 22Air · Cardinal · 30 daysRuler: VenusScorpio
Oct 23 – Nov 21Water · Fixed · 30 daysRuler: MarsSagittarius
Nov 22 – Dec 21Fire · Mutable · 30 daysRuler: JupiterCapricorn
Dec 22 – Jan 19Earth · Cardinal · 29 daysRuler: SaturnAquarius
Jan 20 – Feb 18Air · Fixed · 30 daysRuler: SaturnPisces
Feb 19 – Mar 20Water · Mutable · 30 daysRuler: JupiterWhen the Sun enters each sign
| Sign | Usual start | Sun enters, 2026 (UTC) | Start dates, 1950–2050 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♈︎ Aries | Mar 21 | Mar 20, 14:37 | Mar 19 – Mar 21 |
| ♉︎ Taurus | Apr 20 | Apr 20, 01:29 | Apr 19 – Apr 20 |
| ♊︎ Gemini | May 21 | May 21, 00:29 | May 20 – May 21 |
| ♋︎ Cancer | Jun 21 | Jun 21, 08:20 | Jun 20 – Jun 22 |
| ♌︎ Leo | Jul 23 | Jul 22, 19:13 | Jul 22 – Jul 23 |
| ♍︎ Virgo | Aug 23 | Aug 23, 02:22 | Aug 22 – Aug 23 |
| ♎︎ Libra | Sep 23 | Sep 23, 00:09 | Sep 22 – Sep 23 |
| ♏︎ Scorpio | Oct 23 | Oct 23, 09:40 | Oct 22 – Oct 24 |
| ♐︎ Sagittarius | Nov 22 | Nov 22, 07:23 | Nov 21 – Nov 23 |
| ♑︎ Capricorn | Dec 22 | Dec 21, 20:49 | Dec 21 – Dec 22 |
| ♒︎ Aquarius | Jan 20 | Jan 20, 01:41 | Jan 19 – Jan 21 |
| ♓︎ Pisces | Feb 19 | Feb 18, 15:46 | Feb 18 – Feb 19 |
Times from the Sun's computed position, accurate to about 15 minutes. Local dates can be 1 day earlier in the Americas or 1 day later in Asia and Australia.
What Are the Three Zodiac Modalities?
The 3 zodiac modalities are Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable, and each one holds 4 signs, 1 per element. Cardinal signs open each season, Fixed signs sit in the middle and Mutable signs close it. Astrology links Cardinal with starting, Fixed with keeping and Mutable with adapting.
| Fire | Earth | Air | Water | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CardinalOpens a season | ♈︎ AriesMarch equinox | ♑︎ CapricornDecember solstice | ♎︎ LibraSeptember equinox | ♋︎ CancerJune solstice |
| FixedMiddle of a season | ♌︎ Leo | ♉︎ Taurus | ♒︎ Aquarius | ♏︎ Scorpio |
| MutableCloses a season | ♐︎ Sagittarius | ♍︎ Virgo | ♊︎ Gemini | ♓︎ Pisces |
The 4 Cardinal signs begin at the equinoxes and solstices, the start of spring, summer, autumn and winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed, but the signs keep the same dates.
What Does It Mean to Be Born on a Zodiac Cusp?
Being born on a zodiac cusp means being born within about 1 day of the moment the Sun moved from one sign into the next. The change happens at a different time each year, since a calendar year is not exactly 365 days and leap years reset the drift. A cusp birthday still has 1 sign: the one the Sun was in at the minute you were born.
The day the Sun entered Aries, 2020 to 2031 (UTC)
The entry time moves about 6 hours later each year and jumps back after each leap day. Someone born on March 20 at noon UTC was an Aries in 2020 and a Pisces in 2022. Over 1950 to 2050 the entry day ranges from March 21 (as in 1950) to March 19 (first in 2044). The calculator works this out from your birth time and time zone, and flags a cusp when no time is given.
Sun Sign vs Moon Sign vs Rising Sign
Your sun sign comes from the Sun's position at birth, your Moon sign from the Moon's position and your rising sign from the sign on the eastern horizon. Together they are called the "big 3" of a natal chart. Each needs more birth information than the last.
Sun sign
Where the Sun was on your birthday. Changes every 30 days or so.
Needs: dateMoon sign
Where the Moon was. Changes every 2 to 3 days.
Needs: date and timeRising sign
The sign rising in the east. Changes about every 2 hours.
Needs: date, time and placeA full natal chart adds Venus, Mars and the other planets plus 12 houses, and needs the same date, time and place as the rising sign. This calculator gives the sun sign, the Moon sign and the sidereal sign.
Western Zodiac vs Chinese Zodiac
The Western zodiac assigns a sign by the time of year, while the Chinese zodiac assigns an animal by the year itself. Both use 12 signs, but the Chinese system adds 5 elements, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, which combine with the animals into a 60-year cycle.
Western zodiac
- 12 signs from Aries to Pisces
- Based on the Sun's position
- Changes about every 30 days
- 4 elements: Fire, Earth, Air, Water
- Starts at the March equinox
Chinese zodiac
- 12 animals from Rat to Pig
- Based on the lunar-solar year
- Changes once a year
- 5 elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water
- Starts at Chinese New Year, January 21 – February 20
Animals for 2020 to 2031, each year starting at Chinese New Year. Born in January or February? The calculator checks which side of Chinese New Year your birthday falls on. A third system, the sidereal zodiac used in Vedic (Jyotish) astrology, lines the signs up with the stars: with the Lahiri correction of about 24°, most people's sidereal sign is 1 sign before their Western sign.
Common Uses of a Zodiac Sign Calculator
A zodiac sign calculator has 8 common uses, including reading horoscopes, checking compatibility and choosing birthday gifts.
Horoscopes
Daily and love horoscopes are written per sun sign.
Compatibility
Compare 2 signs and their elements for fun.
Birthday gifts
Sign jewellery, birthstones and themed cards.
Party themes
Star-sign cakes, decorations and invitations.
Social profiles
The sign emoji in a bio or dating profile.
Writing characters
Novelists give characters birthdays and signs.
Chinese New Year
Find your animal before the new year starts.
Cusp birthdays
Settle a March 20 or a December 21 debate with a birth time.
Traditional element pairings in Western astrology
| Fire | Earth | Air | Water | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | Same | Mixed | Good | Hard |
| Earth | Mixed | Same | Hard | Good |
| Air | Good | Hard | Same | Mixed |
| Water | Hard | Good | Mixed | Same |
Astrology pairs Fire with Air and Earth with Water as supportive, and treats the same element as an easy match. These are traditions for entertainment, not predictions about real relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is My Zodiac Sign by Date of Birth?
Your zodiac sign by date of birth is the sign the Sun was in on the day you were born. Born between March 21 and April 19, you are an Aries; between July 23 and August 22, a Leo; between December 22 and January 19, a Capricorn. Enter your date of birth in the zodiac sign calculator to get your sign, element and modality straight away.
How Do I Calculate My Zodiac Sign?
To calculate your zodiac sign, find the date range in the zodiac table that contains your birthday. Each of the 12 signs covers about 30 days, starting with Aries on March 21. Born within 1 day of a sign change? Add your birth time and time zone, and the calculator works out the Sun's exact position.
What Are the Dates for All 12 Zodiac Signs?
The dates for all 12 zodiac signs are: Aries Mar 21 – Apr 19; Taurus Apr 20 – May 20; Gemini May 21 – Jun 20; Cancer Jun 21 – Jul 22; Leo Jul 23 – Aug 22; Virgo Aug 23 – Sep 22; Libra Sep 23 – Oct 22; Scorpio Oct 23 – Nov 21; Sagittarius Nov 22 – Dec 21; Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 19; Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 18; Pisces Feb 19 – Mar 20. These are the usual Western dates. The exact start of each sign moves by about 1 day from year to year.
Is My Zodiac Sign Based on My Birth Month or Year?
Your Western zodiac sign is based on your birth month and day, not your birth year. Everyone born on July 30 is a Leo, whatever the year. Your Chinese zodiac sign is the one based on the year: 2026 is the Year of the Horse.
Do I Need My Birth Time to Find My Zodiac Sign?
No, you do not need your birth time to find your sun sign, unless you were born on a cusp. The Sun stays in each sign for about 30 days. Birth time matters for your Moon sign, since the Moon changes sign every 2 to 3 days, and for your rising sign, which changes about every 2 hours.
What Is My Zodiac Sign If I Was Born on a Cusp?
If you were born on a cusp, your zodiac sign is the sign the Sun was in at your exact moment of birth: one sign, not a blend. Enter your birth time and time zone in the calculator to see which side of the boundary the Sun was on. In 2026, the Sun entered Aries on Mar 20, 14:37 UTC.
Can My Zodiac Sign Change Based on My Birth Year?
Yes, the birth year can change the zodiac sign of someone born on a cusp date. The Sun entered Aries at 03:53 UTC on March 20, 2020, but at 15:29 UTC on March 20, 2022, so a baby born at noon UTC that day was an Aries in 2020 and a Pisces in 2022. Between 1950 and 2050 the entry date moves from March 21 (as in 1950) to March 19 (first in 2044). Birthdays away from the boundaries keep the same sign every year.
What Is the Difference Between a Sun Sign and a Rising Sign?
A sun sign is the sign the Sun was in when you were born, while a rising sign is the sign rising on the eastern horizon at that moment. The sun sign needs only your date of birth. The rising sign, or ascendant, needs your exact birth time and birth place, since it moves through all 12 signs in about 24 hours.
Are There 12 or 13 Zodiac Signs?
There are 12 zodiac signs in Western astrology. The Sun does pass through a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus, from about November 29 to December 17. Astrology uses 12 equal 30° signs, not the constellations themselves, so Ophiuchus is not a sign. NASA said in 2016: "We didn't change any zodiac signs, we just did the math."
What Is My Zodiac Sign If I Was Born on February 29?
If you were born on February 29, your zodiac sign is Pisces. Pisces runs from February 19 to March 20, so the leap day sits well inside it, with no cusp to worry about.
Is the Western Zodiac the Same as the Chinese Zodiac?
No, the Western zodiac is not the same as the Chinese zodiac. The Western zodiac has 12 signs based on the Sun's position through the year. The Chinese zodiac has 12 animals, 1 per year, combined with 5 elements in a 60-year cycle, and each year starts at Chinese New Year, between January 21 and February 20.
Find your zodiac sign
Enter your date of birth and the zodiac sign calculator shows your sun sign, element and modality. Add a birth time for your Moon sign and an exact cusp answer.
Find my sign