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At a glance
- Found in
- Astrology
- Related
- Birth Chart, Zodiac, Transit
Celestial Longitude means a planet position measured along the ecliptic and expressed in zodiac degrees.
A structural orientation; exact placements depend on the chart or technique being discussed.
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What sets Celestial Longitude apart
Celestial longitude is a single number from 0 up to 360, counted eastward along the ecliptic, the Sun's apparent yearly path, starting at 0 degrees of Aries. Each sign takes 30 degrees, so 95 degrees is 5 degrees of Cancer, and the same number gives the sign and the degree. In tropical astrology, 0 Aries is the point where the Sun stands at the March equinox; sidereal practice starts from a point set against the stars.
- Range: 0 to 360 degrees, counted eastward along the ecliptic
- Sign start: Aries 0, Taurus 30, Gemini 60, Cancer 90, and so on to Pisces 330
- Divisions: one degree is 60 arcminutes; one arcminute is 60 arcseconds
- Tropical zero: 0 Aries is the Sun's place at the March equinox
- Sidereal offset: the ayanamsa, about 24 degrees at present, is subtracted for sidereal positions
Often mistaken for something else: Celestial latitude is the distance north or south of the ecliptic, and the Sun's is always 0. Right ascension is measured along the celestial equator in hours, not along the ecliptic in degrees.
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Why Celestial Longitude matters
Celestial Longitude matters because it is the basic coordinate behind signs, aspects, and most chart placements.
Where readings of Celestial Longitude go wrong
It is a mistake to confuse celestial longitude with house position or declination.
What does Celestial Longitude mean for you?
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Sources and editorial method
This entry summarizes the tradition in the Almanac's own words; where no source is listed, it is an editorial summary rather than a primary text, and symbolic readings are named as the tradition's, not as fact.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Astrology
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is celestial longitude?
Celestial Longitude is a planet position measured along the ecliptic and expressed in zodiac degrees.
What does celestial longitude look like in a birth chart?
Celestial Longitude is the basic coordinate behind signs, aspects, and most chart placements.
What do people get wrong about celestial longitude?
It is a mistake to confuse celestial longitude with house position or declination.
