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How to Calculate My Ascendant Sign

The ascendant or rising sign in your horoscope is the sign of the zodiac that was rising on the eastern horizon at the time of your birth. Calculate the ascendant sign by both the location and the exact time (including hour, month and year) that you were born. The rising sign is different from your sun sign, or the zodiac sign that the sun was in on the date of your birth. The sun sign is your main astrological sign. According to some astrologers, the ascendant sign governs how others view you, not how you truly are inside.

Things You'll Need

Date and time of birth
Location of birth
Ephemeris

Instructions

- 1
  Find the coordinates of your birth place. For the most accurate reading, some astrologers require the latitude and longitude of your birthplace; others just require the name of the city, or nearest large city to you. You can get the latitude and longitude of a place by address using the iTouchMap Internet application in the Resources section.
- 2
  Determine the exact time of your birth. Talk to your parents, if they are available, as they may remember the exact time of your birth. In a few cases, the hospital recorded the time on your birth certificate; however, this is not always accurate, as the time recorded can be when the nurse first started the birth records process and not the actual time of birth.
- 3
  Look up the rising sign in an ephemeris. An ephemeris is a table, chart or almanac of the movements of the stars and planets in relation to the earth, based on your latitude and longitude. Ephemerae are available in print, and also on the Internet.
- 4
  Use an online program to determine your ascendant sign. Numerous calculators are available online, in which you input the location, date and time of your birth to determine your ascendant sign. These calculators generally give you a result within a few seconds.

Astrology