Editorial content updated: • Current sky snapshot generated: • Event calendar covers through:
Use this page as the canonical date reference for the 12 zodiac signs in order, zodiac signs by month, sign start and end dates, cusp boundaries, and tropical versus sidereal date differences. If you were born close to a sign change, confirm your Sun sign with the free Big 3 calculator.
The standard sign-date table is a tropical astrology reference. The live retrograde and eclipse windows are generated from our ephemeris service, which calculates planetary positions before the page adds astrological interpretation. Exact Sun-sign changes depend on the year, birth time, and timezone, so people born near a sign boundary should use the Sun Moon Rising calculator rather than rely on an approximate date range.
Timing data describes astronomical positions and cycles; the planning suggestions on this page are editorial, reflective guidance. Read more about our methodology and limitations.
The 12 zodiac sign dates in tropical astrology are Aries March 21 to April 19, Taurus April 20 to May 20, Gemini May 21 to June 20, Cancer June 21 to July 22, Leo July 23 to August 22, Virgo August 23 to September 22, Libra September 23 to October 22, Scorpio October 23 to November 21, Sagittarius November 22 to December 21, Capricorn December 22 to January 19, Aquarius January 20 to February 18, and Pisces February 19 to March 20.
These are standard Sun-sign date ranges. If your birthday falls on the first or last date of a sign, use an ephemeris-based chart calculation because the Sun changes signs at an exact time that can vary by year and timezone.
| Order | Zodiac sign | Symbol | Typical tropical date range | Element | Modality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aries | ♈ | March 21 - April 19 | Fire | Cardinal |
| 2 | Taurus | ♉ | April 20 - May 20 | Earth | Fixed |
| 3 | Gemini | ♊ | May 21 - June 20 | Air | Mutable |
| 4 | Cancer | ♋ | June 21 - July 22 | Water | Cardinal |
| 5 | Leo | ♌ | July 23 - August 22 | Fire | Fixed |
| 6 | Virgo | ♍ | August 23 - September 22 | Earth | Mutable |
| 7 | Libra | ♎ | September 23 - October 22 | Air | Cardinal |
| 8 | Scorpio | ♏ | October 23 - November 21 | Water | Fixed |
| 9 | Sagittarius | ♐ | November 22 - December 21 | Fire | Mutable |
| 10 | Capricorn | ♑ | December 22 - January 19 | Earth | Cardinal |
| 11 | Aquarius | ♒ | January 20 - February 18 | Air | Fixed |
| 12 | Pisces | ♓ | February 19 - March 20 | Water | Mutable |
The Sun enters each tropical zodiac sign at an exact moment, so boundary birthdays should be checked against birth time and timezone. The times below are UTC snapshots generated from the site ephemeris service; your local calendar date can differ by timezone.
| Date | Time | Time zone | Sign entered | Boundary note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 20, 2026 | 1:44 AM | UTC | Aquarius | Check exact birth time if born near Jan 19-20. |
| Feb 18, 2026 | 3:51 PM | UTC | Pisces | Check exact birth time if born near Feb 18-19. |
| Mar 20, 2026 | 2:45 PM | UTC | Aries | Equinox ingress; local date can shift west of UTC. |
| Apr 20, 2026 | 1:39 AM | UTC | Taurus | Check exact birth time if born near Apr 19-20. |
| May 21, 2026 | 12:36 AM | UTC | Gemini | Check exact birth time if born near May 20-21. |
| Jun 21, 2026 | 8:24 AM | UTC | Cancer | Solstice ingress; timezone matters for boundary births. |
| Jul 22, 2026 | 7:13 PM | UTC | Leo | Check exact birth time if born near Jul 22-23. |
| Aug 23, 2026 | 2:18 AM | UTC | Virgo | Check exact birth time if born near Aug 22-23. |
| Sep 23, 2026 | 12:05 AM | UTC | Libra | Equinox ingress; local date can shift west of UTC. |
| Oct 23, 2026 | 9:37 AM | UTC | Scorpio | Check exact birth time if born near Oct 22-23. |
| Nov 22, 2026 | 7:23 AM | UTC | Sagittarius | Check exact birth time if born near Nov 21-22. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | 8:50 PM | UTC | Capricorn | Solstice ingress; local date can shift east of UTC. |
A "cusp" refers to the transitional days between two zodiac signs. If you were born on the first or last day of a sign, you might feel a blend of both energies. However, technically, the Sun can only be in one sign at the exact moment of your birth. Calculating your full birth chart with the Sun Moon Rising calculator or birth chart guide will reveal your true, definitive Sun sign.
Tropical Astrology (common in the West) is based on the seasons and the vernal equinox, keeping the start of Aries aligned with Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
Sidereal Astrology (used in Vedic astrology) aligns with the actual, current constellations in the sky, factoring in the Earth's shifting axis over millennia. If you want to compare changing sky positions with these date ranges, open the planetary positions calculator.
Station times and degrees are generated from apparent planetary speed in the site ephemeris service. Outer-planet rows that began before January 1 are included when the retrograde period continues into 2026.
| Planet | Retrograde start | Retrograde end | Sign or signs | Station degree | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Feb 26, 2026, 6:48 AM UTC | Mar 20, 2026, 7:32 PM UTC | Pisces | 22.6 deg Pisces | Speed station from ephemeris snapshot. |
| Mercury | Jun 29, 2026, 5:36 PM UTC | Jul 23, 2026, 10:57 PM UTC | Cancer | 26.3 deg Cancer | Speed station from ephemeris snapshot. |
| Mercury | Oct 24, 2026, 7:12 AM UTC | Nov 13, 2026, 3:54 PM UTC | Scorpio | 21.0 deg Scorpio | Speed station from ephemeris snapshot. |
| Venus | Oct 3, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC | Nov 14, 2026, 12:27 AM UTC | Scorpio/Libra | 8.5 deg Scorpio | Speed station from ephemeris snapshot. |
| Mars | No Mars retrograde period occurs during 2026 in this ephemeris snapshot. | Not applicable. | |||
| Jupiter | Already retrograde on Jan 1, 2026 | Mar 11, 2026, 3:30 AM UTC | Cancer | 24.5 deg Cancer at Dec 1, 2025 sample | Period carried into 2026. |
| Saturn | Jul 26, 2026, 7:58 PM UTC | Dec 10, 2026, 11:31 PM UTC | Aries | 14.7 deg Aries | Speed station from ephemeris snapshot. |
| Uranus | Already retrograde on Jan 1, 2026 | Feb 4, 2026, 2:34 AM UTC | Taurus | 29.0 deg Taurus at Dec 1, 2025 sample | Period carried into 2026. |
| Neptune | Jul 7, 2026, 10:58 AM UTC | Dec 12, 2026, 10:18 PM UTC | Aries | 4.4 deg Aries | Speed station from ephemeris snapshot. |
| Pluto | May 6, 2026, 3:44 PM UTC | Oct 16, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC | Aquarius | 5.5 deg Aquarius | Speed station from ephemeris snapshot. |
The eclipse table uses exact New Moon or Full Moon timing with the Moon close to the lunar nodes. Visibility notes are astronomical context, not an astrological prediction.
| Eclipse type | Date | Exact time | Zodiac sign | Degree | Visibility or astronomical note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Eclipse | Feb 17, 2026 | 12:01 PM UTC | Aquarius | 28.8 deg Aquarius | Moon near a lunar node; visibility depends on geography. |
| Lunar Eclipse | Mar 3, 2026 | 11:37 AM UTC | Virgo | 12.9 deg Virgo | Moon near a lunar node; visibility depends on geography. |
| Solar Eclipse | Aug 12, 2026 | 5:36 PM UTC | Leo | 20.0 deg Leo | Moon near a lunar node; visibility depends on geography. |
| Lunar Eclipse | Aug 28, 2026 | 4:18 AM UTC | Pisces | 4.9 deg Pisces | Moon near a lunar node; visibility depends on geography. |
If your birthday is close to a sign change, confirm your Sun sign with the Sun Moon Rising calculator using birth time and location. For relationship questions, compare two full charts with the free synastry chart calculator instead of relying only on Sun-sign compatibility.
Zodiac sign dates are the approximate Sun-sign ranges used in tropical astrology, starting with Aries around March 21 and ending with Pisces around March 20. Because the Sun changes signs at a specific time each year, people born near a cusp should verify with a chart calculator.
Each zodiac season starts when the Sun enters a new sign, usually around the same calendar dates each year. Aries begins near the March equinox, Cancer near the June solstice, Libra near the September equinox, and Capricorn near the December solstice. Exact ingress times can vary by year.
The 12 zodiac signs in order by date are Aries March 21 to April 19, Taurus April 20 to May 20, Gemini May 21 to June 20, Cancer June 21 to July 22, Leo July 23 to August 22, Virgo August 23 to September 22, Libra September 23 to October 22, Scorpio October 23 to November 21, Sagittarius November 22 to December 21, Capricorn December 22 to January 19, Aquarius January 20 to February 18, and Pisces February 19 to March 20.
If you were born near two sign dates, you are not a blended cusp by default; your Sun is in one exact zodiac sign at the moment of birth. Use your birth date, time, and timezone in the Sun Moon Rising calculator to confirm your Sun sign.
Zodiac sign dates are useful approximations, but the Sun enters each sign at an exact time that can shift slightly by year and timezone. If your birthday is on the first or last date of a sign, confirm your Sun sign with an ephemeris-based birth chart or Sun Moon Rising calculator.
Beginners should track zodiac seasons, new moons, full moons, Mercury retrograde periods, and major planetary ingresses. Start with the moon calendar for monthly rhythm, then use current planetary positions to see which signs the planets occupy now.