See exactly where the planets are for any date. This calculator lists the zodiac sign, degree and retrograde status of every planet, plus the lunar nodes, for the moment you enter, in either the Western tropical or the Vedic sidereal zodiac. It is useful for checking today's sky, a past event or an upcoming date.
What the Tool Shows
For each body, from the Sun and Moon through to Pluto and the nodes Rahu and Ketu, you get the sign it is in, its exact degree within that sign, and whether it is moving direct or retrograde. Together these show the current shape of the sky, which is the raw material behind transit readings, electional timing and daily astrology.
Tropical or Sidereal
You can switch between the tropical zodiac used in Western astrology and the sidereal zodiac used in Vedic astrology. The planets are the same; only the zodiac frame shifts, by about twenty-four degrees, so a planet can read as one sign tropically and the previous sign sidereally. Choose the system that matches the kind of astrology you practise.
Reading the Positions
Planetary positions are most meaningful when compared to a birth chart, where today's planets form transits to your natal placements. On their own they describe the collective mood of the moment, such as a Mercury retrograde period or a Venus sign change. Pair this tool with the transit calculator to see how the current sky touches your own chart.
Reading the Sky for a Date
Set the date, and add a time and timezone when you want a precise snapshot. You can also switch between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs. Press Calculate and you'll get every planet and lunar node with its sign, exact degree and retrograde status, so you can read the whole sky for any moment, past or future, in one view.
Degrees and Retrograde
The tool doesn't just name each planet's sign, it gives the exact degree within that sign and flags whether the planet is retrograde. The degree tells you how far along a sign a planet has travelled, which matters for aspects and for fine timing, while a retrograde mark shows a planet that appears to be moving backward, traditionally read as turning its themes inward for a while.
Any Date, Past or Future
Because the positions are computed from real ephemeris data, you can read the sky for any moment, not only a birth. Set a historical date to see where the planets stood then, or a future one to look ahead, in either the tropical or the sidereal zodiac. That makes the tool as useful for studying a past event as for casting a chart. The lunar nodes, Rahu and Ketu, are listed alongside the planets so the whole picture is in one place.
How this differs from the full charts
This calculator returns the bare planetary positions (each planet's sign and degree) for any date, in tropical or sidereal mode. It does not draw houses or an ascendant. For a complete Western wheel use the birth chart, for the Indian sidereal chart use the Vedic Kundli, and for only the rising sign use the rising sign calculator.
Planetary Positions Questions
What does this calculator show?
It shows the zodiac sign, exact degree and retrograde status of every planet and the lunar nodes for any date and time you enter, in either the tropical or sidereal zodiac.
What is the difference between tropical and sidereal positions?
The planets are identical; only the zodiac frame differs. The sidereal zodiac is shifted from the tropical by about twenty-four degrees, so a planet can appear in different signs in the two systems.
What does retrograde mean?
Retrograde means a planet appears to move backwards through the zodiac as seen from Earth. It is an apparent motion, not a real reversal, and is noted because astrology reads retrograde periods as a distinct influence.
Positions are computed with the Swiss Ephemeris. Astrological interpretations are traditional and are offered for reflection, not as guaranteed predictions.
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Continue with these related astrology tools: Kundli Matching Calculator, Mangal Dosha Calculator, Zodiac Compatibility Calculator and Sade Sati Calculator. No single method tells the whole story, so combining a few gives a more balanced result. The complete astrology calculators list is right here, as is the full set of calculators.