About the Zodiac Sign Calculator
This zodiac sign calculator finds the western (tropical) sun sign for any birth date — the “star sign” you see in horoscope columns. Along with the sign it shows the symbol, element (fire, earth, air or water), modality (cardinal, fixed or mutable), ruling planet, the sign’s date range, its opposite sign and the signs it is traditionally said to get along with.
Use it to answer “what is my zodiac sign?”, to check a partner’s or friend’s sign, or to settle a debate about someone born near the edge of two signs. Birthdays on the first two or last two days of a sign are flagged as a cusp, because the exact change-over date moves by about a day from year to year.
The date ranges used are the widely published conventional ones. For an exact answer on a cusp you need the birth time and place, because the Sun enters each sign at a specific moment. Astrology is offered here for fun and cultural interest — it is not a scientific predictor of personality.
How to use the zodiac sign calculator
- 1Enter your birth date (the year does not change the sign).
- 2Read your sun sign, symbol and date range.
- 3See the element, modality and ruling planet for that sign.
- 4Check the cusp line if you were born near the start or end of a sign.
Formula and method
Western astrology divides the ecliptic — the Sun’s apparent yearly path — into twelve 30° signs starting from the March equinox (0° Aries). Your sun sign is the sign the Sun occupied when you were born. Because the calendar year and the solar year do not line up exactly, the Sun enters each sign on about the same date every year, give or take a day.
This calculator uses the conventional published date ranges (Aries from 21 March, Taurus from 20 April and so on) and flags birthdays on the first two or last two days of a sign as a cusp. Elements repeat in the order fire, earth, air, water and modalities in the order cardinal, fixed, mutable around the wheel; the opposite sign is six signs (180°) away.
Worked examples
Born 14 August 1995
Leo runs from 23 July to 22 August, so a 14 August birthday is Leo — a fixed fire sign ruled by the Sun. The opposite sign on the wheel is Aquarius.
Born 1 January 2000
Capricorn spans the new year, from 22 December to 19 January, so a New Year’s Day birthday is Capricorn, a cardinal earth sign opposite Cancer.
Cusp birthday: 20 April 1990
20 April is the first day of Taurus in the conventional table, but it is right on the Aries–Taurus boundary, so the exact birth time decides the sign.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 12 zodiac signs in order?+
Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces, starting at the March equinox around 21 March.
What does being born on the cusp mean?+
A cusp birthday falls within a day or two of the change from one sign to the next. The Sun moves into the next sign at a precise moment that shifts slightly each year, so your sign depends on your exact birth time and place.
Did NASA add a 13th zodiac sign, Ophiuchus?+
No. NASA pointed out that the Sun passes through the constellation Ophiuchus, but astrology’s signs are twelve equal 30° divisions tied to the equinox, not the constellations. The twelve-sign dates did not change.
Why is my sign different in Vedic astrology?+
Vedic (sidereal) astrology measures signs against the fixed stars, while western astrology uses the tropical zodiac tied to the equinoxes. Because of the precession of the equinoxes the two currently differ by about 24 degrees, so most people’s sidereal sign is one sign earlier.
What are the zodiac elements?+
Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) and Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). Fire and air are traditionally considered compatible, as are earth and water.