What your sun sign is
Your sun sign is the zodiac sign the sun was in when you were born. It is the one people mean when they ask what your star sign is. Western astrology divides the year into twelve signs of roughly thirty days each, starting at the spring equinox with Aries and ending with Pisces.
Capricorn is the only sign that spans the new year, running from 22 December to 19 January, so people born in either part of that stretch share a sign even though they are almost a year apart in calendar terms.
Elements, modalities and planets
Astrologers describe every sign with an element and a modality. Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) are said to be energetic, earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) practical, air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) social and water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) emotional. Cardinal signs start things, fixed signs hold steady and mutable signs adapt.
Each sign also has a ruling planet. Three signs have a modern ruler and an older, traditional one: Scorpio (Pluto or Mars), Aquarius (Uranus or Saturn) and Pisces (Neptune or Jupiter). We show both.
Your Chinese zodiac animal
The calculator also shows the animal for your birth year. For example 1990 is the year of the Horse, 2000 the Dragon and 2020 the Rat. Because the Chinese calendar follows the moon, a birthday in January or February can fall before Lunar New Year, in which case the previous animal applies. The result tells you when to double-check.
Take it further
Compare two signs with the zodiac compatibility calculator, find out how old you would be on Mars with the planet age calculator, or work out exactly how many days old you are with the age calculator.
Questions people ask
How do I find my zodiac sign?
Your sun sign is set by the date of your birth. Each of the twelve signs covers about a month, starting with Aries on 21 March. Enter your date and the calculator looks it up for you, along with the sign’s element and ruling planet.
What if I was born on the cusp?
Sign changes happen at a particular moment that moves by up to a day from year to year, and also depends on your time zone. If you were born on the first or last day of a sign, the table shows the standard dates, but only an ephemeris for your birth year, time and place can say for sure.
What are elements and modalities?
Traditional astrology groups the twelve signs in two ways. The four elements (fire, earth, air, water) have three signs each, and the three modalities (cardinal, fixed, mutable) have four signs each. Every sign is one element and one modality, which is why no two signs are exactly alike.
How is the Chinese zodiac animal chosen?
The Chinese zodiac repeats every 12 years: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The year changes at Lunar New Year, which falls between late January and mid February, so if you were born in January or February your animal may be the previous year’s.
Is astrology scientifically proven?
No. Studies have not found that sun signs predict personality or life events. Astrology is a cultural tradition many people enjoy, so this page is meant for fun and general interest.