To tell your zodiac sign, match your birth date to the sun-sign dates below or use a birth-chart tool for precision.
You don’t need software to find your sun sign. A calendar and a clear set of date ranges do the job in seconds. This guide shows fast steps, common edge cases, and a clean table so you can check your birthday with zero guesswork.
Fast Method: Match Your Birthday To The Sun-Sign Dates
Scan the table, find your birth date range, and you’re done. If your birthday sits on the first or last day of a sign, read the “cusp” note for a quick double-check.
| Sign | Usual Dates* | If Born On The Cusp |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | Mar 21 – Apr 19 | Check year/time; dates near Mar 20–21 or Apr 19–20 can shift by a day. |
| Taurus | Apr 20 – May 20 | Near Apr 20 or May 20–21? Verify with exact time if you were born close to midnight. |
| Gemini | May 21 – Jun 20 | Birthdays on May 21 or Jun 20–21 merit a time-based check. |
| Cancer | Jun 21/22 – Jul 22 | Some calendars show Jun 21 vs Jun 22; if you’re on the border, confirm with a chart. |
| Leo | Jul 23 – Aug 22 | Born late on Aug 22 or early Aug 23? A few minutes can matter. |
| Virgo | Aug 23 – Sep 22 | Late Sep 22 to early Sep 23 births benefit from exact times. |
| Libra | Sep 23 – Oct 22/23 | Some sources list Oct 23; cusp birthdays should confirm by time. |
| Scorpio | Oct 23/24 – Nov 21 | Oct 23 vs 24 varies by year; check if you’re within ~12 hours of the switch. |
| Sagittarius | Nov 22 – Dec 21 | Nov 21/22 or Dec 21–22 births should verify with location and clock time. |
| Capricorn | Dec 22 – Jan 19 | Late-night births on Dec 21/22 or Jan 19/20 can flip. |
| Aquarius | Jan 20 – Feb 18 | Watch Jan 20 and Feb 18–19; use a precise lookup if near the line. |
| Pisces | Feb 19 – Mar 20 | Close to Feb 18/19 or Mar 20/21? Confirm with a birth time check. |
*These are standard tropical zodiac ranges used in Western horoscopes. The exact start/end can shift by up to a day depending on your birth year and location.
How To Tell Your Zodiac Sign From Birth Date And Time (When You’re On The Cusp)
Most people can stop at the table. If your birthday sits on a sign’s first or last day, take one more step. Grab your birth time and place, then run a birth-chart calculator or a trusted ephemeris. This pins the Sun’s exact position at your birth and removes any doubt.
What “Cusp” Really Means
“Cusp” simply means your birth fell near a sign boundary. You still have one sun sign. Traits from neighboring signs might feel familiar, but the Sun can only reside in one sign at that moment.
What The Zodiac Is (And Why Dates Sometimes Vary)
Western horoscopes use the tropical zodiac: twelve equal 30-degree slices starting at the March equinox. That anchor keeps the sign framework tied to seasons. Reference sources explain the zodiac’s structure and the classic date ranges for each sign, including Aries through Pisces. You can read a neutral overview in Britannica’s zodiac entry.
Why One Source Lists Jun 21 And Another Jun 22
The Sun crosses sign boundaries at specific times, not at midnight. Calendars round by date, and different time zones create small shifts. That’s why a Cancer start date might appear as June 21 in one table and June 22 in another.
About The “13th Sign” Headlines
From time to time, claims about a new sign appear. Astronomers point out that they study the sky, not horoscopes, and that they didn’t change people’s signs. The viral posts mix astronomy topics (precession and constellations) with horoscope dates. NASA clears this up in a short note: “We didn’t change any zodiac signs, we just did the math.”
Step-By-Step: Find Your Sign In Under One Minute
- Find your birthday in the table above.
- If you’re not on the first or last day of a sign, that’s your sun sign.
- If you are on a boundary day, grab your birth time and city.
- Use a reliable birth-chart tool or an ephemeris to resolve the boundary. Many sites list a “Sun sign” with degree; you only need that one line.
- Write down the sign and symbol so you can spot it in future charts.
How To Tell Your Zodiac Sign (Exact Phrase, FAQ-Free)
This section uses the exact search phrase once more to help readers who land here from common queries. If you came in asking “how to tell your zodiac sign,” the shortest path is the date table, with a birth-time check only when you’re on a sign boundary.
Close Variations You Might See Online
Writers and tools often phrase the same task in different ways. You might see “find your sun sign by birthday,” “what’s my star sign,” or “zodiac by date.” All point back to the same table and the same tie-breaker: exact birth time if you’re on the edge.
Sun Sign Basics You Can Use Right Away
Symbols, Elements, And Modalities
Each sign has a symbol (like ♈ for Aries), an element group (fire, earth, air, water), and a modality (cardinal, fixed, mutable). These labels help organize traits in many guides. For a neutral backgrounder on how the zodiac is described and grouped, see the encyclopedia link above.
Typical Date Ranges Recap
Here’s a quick text recap of the most common ranges you’ll see in Western sun-sign lists: Aries (Mar 21–Apr 19), Taurus (Apr 20–May 20), Gemini (May 21–Jun 20), Cancer (Jun 21/22–Jul 22), Leo (Jul 23–Aug 22), Virgo (Aug 23–Sep 22), Libra (Sep 23–Oct 22/23), Scorpio (Oct 23/24–Nov 21), Sagittarius (Nov 22–Dec 21), Capricorn (Dec 22–Jan 19), Aquarius (Jan 20–Feb 18), Pisces (Feb 19–Mar 20).
When A Precise Tool Helps
Two situations call for precision. First, if you were born close to a sign boundary. Second, if you were born overnight and your hospital records show a time near the switch. A reputable calculator or ephemeris resolves both in seconds. For a neutral primer on the twelve signs and how they’re arranged along the ecliptic, see timeanddate’s zodiac guide.
Ways To Confirm Your Sun Sign
| Method | What You Need | Accuracy Note |
|---|---|---|
| Date-Range Table | Birthday only | Fast. Good if you’re not on a boundary day. |
| Birth-Chart Tool | Birthday, time, city | Resolves all cusp cases; returns exact Sun degree. |
| Printed Ephemeris | Birthday and year | Shows the Sun’s sign by date/time; great for archival checks. |
| Hospital Records | Birth certificate | Confirms the exact minute, which settles boundary cases. |
| Ask A Relative | Approximate birth time | Works if records are missing; use a tool after you get a time window. |
Sun Sign Versus Constellation Name
Western horoscopes use a twelve-slice system tied to the seasons, not the uneven constellation shapes in the sky. Astronomy topics like precession and the constellation list are separate. That’s why you may read claims about an extra constellation, yet your horoscope still lists twelve sun signs. NASA’s note linked above explains this split plainly.
How Time Zones Affect Boundary Birthdays
Let’s say the Sun entered Leo at 04:06 UTC on your birth date. If you were born in Dhaka, that event occurred later in local time than it did in London or New York. Two people born the same UTC minute can show different calendar dates on their certificates. A precise tool accounts for that with your birth city.
Common Mistakes (And Quick Fixes)
Using A Northern-Hemisphere Season List For A Southern-Hemisphere Birth
Season names don’t change your sign. The tropical zodiac starts at the March equinox no matter where you were born. Lists sometimes name seasons, which can mislead readers south of the equator. Trust the dates and the Sun’s degree, not the season label.
Relying On A Single Source For Cusp Days
One table may say Libra starts Sep 23; another may say Sep 24. Both can be right for different years. If you’re on a boundary, use a chart with your exact birth time and you’ll get a clear answer.
Confusing Sun Sign With Moon Or Rising
Sun sign uses the Sun only. Moon and rising sign need exact time and place. Many sites bundle them, which helps for deeper reading, but they aren’t needed to answer the simple question above.
Checklist: Confirm Your Sign And Save It
- Find your birthday’s range in the first table.
- If you’re on a border day, look up your exact birth time.
- Run a chart; note the Sun sign and degree.
- Write the symbol next to your birthday in your notes.
How To Tell Your Zodiac Sign When You Were Born Abroad
If you searched “how to tell your zodiac sign” after moving countries, use the city where you were born, not your current city. Tools use your birth place to handle time zone and daylight-saving rules for that year.
Quick Reference: Signs And Symbols
Aries ♈, Taurus ♉, Gemini ♊, Cancer ♋, Leo ♌, Virgo ♍, Libra ♎, Scorpio ♏, Sagittarius ♐, Capricorn ♑, Aquarius ♒, Pisces ♓. Add the symbol to your notes so you can spot your sign instantly in any chart image or app.
Final Notes On Sources And My Process
The date ranges here follow the tropical zodiac used in Western horoscopes and align with standard references. For a neutral encyclopedia overview of signs and ranges, see the linked Britannica page. For a plain-language primer on the zodiac and seasons, timeanddate’s guide offers a solid introduction. For the recurring “13th sign” claims, NASA’s short post separates astronomy topics from horoscope dates in clear terms.
You’ve now seen fast steps, a broad table, and a precise tie-breaker for cusp birthdays. That’s all you need to confidently tell your zodiac sign.