Sidereal Sun Sign Dates
Sidereal Sagittarius Dates
December 16 to January 13
Lahiri (IAE 1985) ayanamsa · approximate dates for 2020 to 2050 · shifts ~1 day per 72 years
In the Lahiri sidereal zodiac, the Sun enters Sagittarius on approximately December 16 and leaves on approximately January 13. This corresponds to most of what tropical astrology calls Capricorn. If you were born between roughly December 16 and January 13, your sidereal Sun sign is Sagittarius.
Why does sidereal Sagittarius start on December 16?
Sidereal Sagittarius contains the winter solstice (around December 21), which tropical astrology places at 0° Capricorn. In the sidereal framework the darkest turning point of the year falls in the sign of expansion and philosophical seeking rather than the sign of structure and ambition. The Galactic Center (approximately 27° sidereal Sagittarius) marks the gravitational core of the Milky Way, making sidereal Sagittarius the only sign that contains this landmark. Several Vedic astrological traditions consider the Galactic Center degree to carry special significance. The ingress date shifts about one day every 72 years as precession continues.
What if you were born on the cusp?
People born in the last week of tropical Sagittarius (roughly December 16 to December 21) are in the cusp zone. Compute your sidereal chart to confirm whether your sidereal Sun is Sagittarius or Capricorn.
Get your complete sidereal chart
The Sun sign dates above are approximate. Your full chart includes Moon, rising, and all planets in the Lahiri sidereal zodiac, plus the exact ayanamsa applied to your birth date.