Sun Moon Rising Sign Calculator (Free)

In Western astrology, your "big three" are your sun, moon and rising signs. Many people know their sun sign from their birthday, but the moon and rising signs need a little more information, and a little more maths. They're popular with people who enjoy astrology as a way to reflect on personality and relationships.

Our free Sun Moon Rising Sign Calculator works out all three from your date, time and place of birth. This guide explains what each sign represents in astrology and how they're calculated.

The big three explained

Your sun sign

Your sun sign is based on where the Sun appeared in the zodiac when you were born. It's the sign most people mean when they say "I'm a Leo" or "I'm a Pisces". In astrology, it's associated with your core identity and sense of self.

Your moon sign

Your moon sign depends on where the Moon was at your birth. Because the Moon moves through the zodiac quickly, changing sign about every two and a half days, two people born just days apart can have different moon signs. Astrologers associate it with emotions, instincts and what makes you feel secure.

Your rising sign

Your rising sign, or ascendant, is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment and place you were born. It changes roughly every two hours, so you need an accurate birth time. In astrology, it's linked with first impressions and how you come across to others.

How to use the calculator (Sun Moon Rising Sign Calculator)

1. Enter your date of birth.
2. Enter your time of birth, if you know it. You can often find it on a birth certificate in Scotland, or ask family. It's needed for your rising sign.
3. Choose your place of birth from the list of UK cities, or choose "Somewhere else" and enter the latitude, longitude and time difference from UTC.

The calculator shows your sun, moon and rising signs, with the degree within each sign.

How the signs are calculated

Unlike simple date charts, our calculator works out the actual positions using standard astronomical formulas:

• The Sun's position is calculated for your birth moment, so people born near the change of signs (the "cusp") get the right answer for their year.
• The Moon's position uses the main terms of a well-established lunar theory, accurate to a small fraction of a degree.
• The rising sign is found from the local sidereal time at your birthplace, your latitude and the tilt of the Earth's axis.

For UK births, the calculator automatically accounts for British Summer Time, including the period from 1968 to 1971 when clocks stayed an hour ahead all year.

A worked example

Someone born in London on 21 July 1995 at 2:30pm would have:

• Sun: Cancer, at 28°, just before the change to Leo
• Moon: Taurus
• Rising: Scorpio

Without a birth time, the calculator still shows the sun and moon signs, and tells you if the Moon changed sign during that day. Try your own birth details in the Sun Moon Rising Sign Calculator.

The twelve signs

The exact change dates vary by a day or so between years, which is why calculating the Sun's real position matters if you were born near a cusp.

Astrology and astronomy

Astronomy is the science of stars, planets and the universe. Astrology is a belief system that links the positions of celestial bodies to human affairs. Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which is tied to the seasons, starting at the spring equinox. Because of a slow wobble in the Earth's axis, the zodiac signs no longer line up with the constellations they're named after.

Finding your birth time

If you don't know your birth time, ask a parent or relative, check a baby book or hospital records, or look at your birth certificate if you were born in Scotland, where the time is usually recorded. Even an approximate time can narrow down your rising sign.