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Ephemeris

An ephemeris is a day-by-day table of exactly where each planet is in the zodiac—the raw data for every birth chart and transit reading.

You know how you can look up what the weather was on a specific date? An ephemeris is like that for planets. It's just a big list showing each planet's position day after day. No commentary, no forecast—just numbers and degrees. Astrologers pull this data to calculate your birth chart or see what's happening now. It's the ingredient list, not the meal.

Example

To cast a chart for someone born on June 15, 1990, an astrologer glances at the ephemeris for that date and grabs the positions: Sun at 24° Gemini, Moon at 2° Pisces, and so on.

How Today Astro Report uses it

Today Astro Report uses an ephemeris to fetch the planets' exact spots for your birth and today—without it, we’d just be guessing.

Common misconceptions

The biggest mix-up? Thinking an ephemeris is a horoscope or prediction. It’s more like a database—crystal clear, but needing a human to turn it into meaning.

Related Terms

Natal Chart Transit

Related Questions

What is a natal chart?A map of the sky the minute you were born. Every planet at a specific degree in a specific sign. It's fixed. That Mars in Cancer at 15°? Yours forever. So instead of a horoscope written for everyone born in your month, you get one that checks what today's planets are actually doing to your chart.Read the full explainer What's the difference between a Sun sign horoscope and a personalized horoscope?A Sun sign horoscope is written for roughly 700 million people born in the same month as you. A personalized one takes your birth date, exact time, and location and runs it against where the planets actually are today. Mars crossing your 7th house is a week of relationship friction. Mars crossing your 10th is a week of career pressure. Same transit, same person, completely different story depending on which house it lands in.See how the personalization works What is my rising sign and how do I find it?Your rising sign is the zodiac sign that was coming up over the eastern horizon the moment you were born. It changes every two hours or so, which is why two people born on the same day can come across totally differently. One Aries with Leo rising walks into a room like they own it. Another with Virgo rising is already mentally rearranging the furniture. You'll need your birth certificate or a parent who remembers the time.Step-by-step guide to finding your rising sign

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