What this tool does

This Birth Chart Calculator works out your natal chart from your date, time and place of birth, then explains it in plain English. It shows where the Sun, Moon and every planet from Mercury to Pluto were in the zodiac when you were born, your rising sign and Midheaven, the twelve houses and the main aspects between the planets.

The positions are calculated astronomically, not guessed: we checked the calculator against well documented charts and every position matched the published figures to within a minute of arc. The written reading then explains your "Big Three" (Sun, Moon and rising sign), how you think, love and act, and the strongest themes in your chart.

When to use it

Use it if you know your Sun sign and want to find your Moon and rising signs, if you are new to astrology and want a clear, accurate starting point, or if you want to check a chart you have been given elsewhere. It is also a good way to compare charts for friends and family, as each reading starts with a short summary of the key placements.

If you do not know your birth time, you can still use it: you will get every planet's sign, and the tool tells you if your Moon could be in either of two signs that day. Your rising sign and houses need a birth time, so the tool will not guess them.

How it works

You choose your birth date and time and type the town or city where you were born. The tool finds the place and its time zone, including any summer time that applied on that date, converts your birth time to Universal Time and calculates the planets' positions in the tropical zodiac with Placidus houses. The reading always starts by showing the place and time used, so you can check it found the right town. Place names come from GeoNames.

An accurate birth time matters most for the rising sign, which moves about one degree every four minutes: a birth certificate or hospital record is best. You do not need to give your name or email to use the tool.