LunaSky map
Computing planetary positions…
The circle is laid out like a natal chart: 0° Aries on the left, signs running counter-clockwise. Planets sit at their real degrees; retrograde ones carry the ℞ mark.
| Planet | Sign | Degree | Motion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computing planetary positions… | |||
What “retrograde” actually means
Planets never reverse — it is an optical effect. Earth travels its own orbit at a different speed, and when it overtakes an outer planet (or falls behind an inner one), that planet appears to back up through the zodiac for a couple of months. A roadside post “moves backwards” the same way when you overtake a car.
Astrologically, retrograde motion is read as the planet's theme turning inward: not “things break”, but “the same matter, reconsidered” — return, finish, re-read. The full picture is on the retrograde planets page, and the most famous case has its own: Mercury retrograde.
How this is computed
Positions come from Swiss Ephemeris, the ephemeris library behind most professional astrology software. Accuracy is a fraction of an arc minute — these are the same numbers paid programs show.
The moment is taken in UTC at the second you load the page, and no observer coordinates are needed: a planet's zodiacal longitude is identical everywhere on Earth. Place only affects houses and the ascendant — that is the natal chart.
Frequently asked questions
How often does this update?
On every page load. The Moon moves about half a degree per hour, so its position visibly changes even within a single day.
Why are planets drawn at different depths?
Readability only: when several planets cluster in one sign, a single ring would blur them into one spot. The true degree is unchanged and listed in the table.
Is this the same as my natal chart?
No. This is the sky now, identical for everyone. A natal chart is the sky at your birth, unique to you, and it needs date, time and place.
Where do I see what it means for me personally?
Transits are read against your own chart — that is the reading inside the app. Start with a natal chart for your date.
Planetary positions are astronomy, verifiable to the arc minute. Their interpretation is a symbolic system for self-reflection, not science.
And what it means for you
The sky is the same for everyone, but it lands differently depending on where the planets fall in your own chart. Luna makes that connection and tells it in plain words, by voice.
Open Luna