Panchang · Gochar
Gochar 2011: when each graha changes sign
In 2011, Guru moves into Mesha on 8 May; Rahu moves into Vrishchika on 6 Jun; Shani moves into Tula on 14 Nov. Below is every sign change, station and asta period of the nine grahas.
Times in New York (America/New York, EST/EDT).
The grahas on 1 January 2011
Sidereal (Lahiri) sign, and from when to when. Open a graha for its whole year.
- Surya (Sun)In Dhanusince 15 Dec 2010, until 14 Jan 2011
- Chandra (Moon)In Vrishchikasince 31 Dec 2010, until 2 Jan 2011
- Mangala (Mars)In Dhanusince 29 Nov 2010, until 8 Jan 2011
- Budha (Mercury)In Vrishchikasince 22 Dec 2010, until 7 Jan 2011
- Guru (Jupiter)In Meenasince 5 Dec 2010, until 8 May 2011
- Shukra (Venus)In Tulasince 1 Sep 2010, until 1 Jan 2011
- Shani (Saturn)In Kanyasince 9 Sep 2009, until 14 Nov 2011
- RahuIn Dhanusince 17 Nov 2009, until 6 Jun 2011
- KetuIn Mithunasince 17 Nov 2009, until 6 Jun 2011
Gochar calendar for 2011
Times in New York (America/New York, EST/EDT). Each is the same instant everywhere on Earth. The Moon changes sign every two and a half days, so its list is on its own page.
Sign changeRetrograde / directAsta / rising
January 2011
1 Jan6:01 am
Shukra enters Vrishchika
7 Jan1:48 pm
Budha enters Dhanu
8 Jan1:16 am
Mangala enters Makara
14 Jan8:01 am
Surya enters Makara
26 Jan12:38 am
Shani turns retrograde at 23°13′ Kanya
29 Jan5:18 pm
Shukra enters Dhanu
30 Jan7:15 pm
Budha enters Makara
February 2011
5 Feb1:38 am
Budha becomes combust (asta) until 12 Mar†
12 Feb8:59 pm
Surya enters Kumbha
15 Feb6:01 am
Mangala enters Kumbha
18 Feb6:56 am
Budha enters Kumbha
24 Feb7:31 pm
Shukra enters Makara
March 2011
6 Mar9:41 am
Budha enters Meena
12 Mar8:09 pm
Budha rises again (asta ends)†
14 Mar6:50 pm
Surya enters Meena
22 Mar2:59 am
Shukra enters Kumbha
22 Mar5:19 pm
Guru becomes combust (asta) until 21 Apr†
25 Mar8:52 am
Mangala enters Meena
28 Mar8:04 am
Budha enters Mesha
30 Mar4:47 pm
Budha turns retrograde at 0°21′ Mesha
April 2011
1 Apr11:25 pm
Budha becomes combust (asta) until 16 Apr†
2 Apr3:00 am
Budha enters Meena (moving backward)
14 Apr3:17 am
Surya enters Mesha
16 Apr1:10 am
Shukra enters Meena
16 Apr7:19 pm
Budha rises again (asta ends)†
21 Apr7:56 am
Guru rises again (asta ends)†
23 Apr6:04 am
Budha turns direct at 18°53′ Meena
25 Apr2:55 pm
Mangala rises again (asta ends)†
May 2011
3 May5:02 am
Mangala enters Mesha
8 May3:51 am
Guru enters Mesha
10 May7:44 pm
Shukra enters Mesha
10 May11:05 pm
Budha enters Mesha
15 May12:07 am
Surya enters Vrishabha
30 May2:30 pm
Budha enters Vrishabha
31 May3:30 pm
Budha becomes combust (asta) until 25 Jun†
June 2011
4 Jun12:21 pm
Shukra enters Vrishabha
6 Jun9:16 am
Rahu enters Vrishchika (moving backward)
6 Jun9:16 am
Ketu enters Vrishabha (moving backward)
12 Jun3:07 pm
Mangala enters Vrishabha
13 Jun12:23 am
Shani turns direct at 16°26′ Kanya
13 Jun9:20 pm
Budha enters Mithuna
15 Jun6:43 am
Surya enters Mithuna
25 Jun1:14 am
Budha rises again (asta ends)†
28 Jun3:05 pm
Budha enters Karka
29 Jun2:49 am
Shukra enters Mithuna
July 2011
10 Jul11:03 pm
Shukra becomes combust (asta) until 22 Sep†
16 Jul5:37 pm
Surya enters Karka
20 Jul1:59 am
Budha enters Simha
23 Jul2:13 pm
Shukra enters Karka
25 Jul8:36 am
Mangala enters Mithuna
August 2011
2 Aug11:49 pm
Budha turns retrograde at 7°11′ Simha
9 Aug9:51 pm
Budha becomes combust (asta) until 24 Aug†
16 Aug3:18 pm
Budha enters Karka (moving backward)
16 Aug10:05 pm
Shukra enters Simha
17 Aug2:05 am
Surya enters Simha
24 Aug9:32 am
Budha rises again (asta ends)†
26 Aug6:03 pm
Budha turns direct at 24°41′ Karka
30 Aug5:00 am
Guru turns retrograde at 16°20′ Mesha
September 2011
4 Sep4:45 pm
Budha enters Simha
9 Sep5:55 am
Mangala enters Karka
10 Sep3:00 am
Shukra enters Kanya
12 Sep8:43 am
Budha becomes combust (asta) until 19 Oct†
17 Sep2:04 am
Surya enters Kanya
22 Sep4:21 am
Shukra rises again (asta ends)†
22 Sep11:18 am
Budha enters Kanya
26 Sep8:30 am
Shani becomes combust (asta) until 30 Oct†
October 2011
4 Oct6:21 am
Shukra enters Tula
9 Oct1:54 pm
Budha enters Tula
17 Oct2:04 pm
Surya enters Tula
19 Oct10:56 pm
Budha rises again (asta ends)†
28 Oct9:23 am
Shukra enters Vrishchika
29 Oct5:40 am
Budha enters Vrishchika
30 Oct12:14 pm
Mangala enters Simha
30 Oct9:15 pm
Shani rises again (asta ends)†
November 2011
14 Nov9:55 pm
Shani enters Tula
16 Nov12:52 pm
Surya enters Vrishchika
21 Nov11:56 am
Shukra enters Dhanu
24 Nov2:19 am
Budha turns retrograde at 26°06′ Vrishchika
28 Nov4:30 pm
Budha becomes combust (asta) until 9 Dec†
December 2011
9 Dec4:13 pm
Budha rises again (asta ends)†
13 Dec8:43 pm
Budha turns direct at 9°50′ Vrishchika
15 Dec5:09 pm
Shukra enters Makara
16 Dec3:31 am
Surya enters Dhanu
25 Dec5:23 pm
Guru turns direct at 6°20′ Mesha
† Practice varies. Texts and almanacs give slightly different asta limits, and some almanacs use the true rather than the mean node for Rahu and Ketu, which can move the nodes’ sign changes by some weeks.
See also: Transits over your chart · Gochar (glossary) · Sade Sati · Ayanamsa · Sankranti
Understand
What gochar is
Gochar means the movement of the grahas: each moves on through the zodiac, and when it crosses from one rasi into the next, that is its sign change (sankramana). This page only says which graha is where, and when. In the classical method gochar is read by counting from a person’s natal Moon sign; to see today’s sky against your own chart, open the transits tool.
Retrograde (vakri) and direct (margi)
Seen from the Earth, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn now and then appear to move backward for a while. That is retrograde motion; the instant the graha stops and turns is a station, and moving forward again is turning direct. It is an effect of the Earth and the planet moving on their orbits at different speeds. The Sun and Moon are never retrograde; Rahu and Ketu (mean) always move backward.
Combustion (asta)
A graha very close to the Sun is lost in its glare; the texts call it asta (set), and its reappearance udaya (rising). The Surya Siddhanta gives a distance limit for each graha. The limits used here: Mangala 17°, Budha 14° (12° when retrograde), Guru 11°, Shukra 10° (8° when retrograde), Shani 15°. Almanacs leave out the asta periods of Guru and Shukra when choosing times for samskaras such as weddings.
Sidereal signs
Indian almanacs count the rasis against the stars (nirayana). Western (tropical) signs run about 24° ahead, so the dates printed there are about three weeks earlier than these. The ayanamsa used here is Lahiri.
How this is calculated
Each graha’s apparent geocentric position from NASA JPL’s DE421 ephemeris, less the Lahiri ayanamsa. The instants of crossing a rasi edge, of zero speed and of reaching the asta limit are found by bisection to under a second. Small differences in ayanamsa can move a slow graha’s time (Shani above all) by a few hours against other almanacs.
More from the Panchang
- TodayToday’s five limbs, good and avoided times, and choghadiya.
- Month calendarEvery tithi, nakshatra and festival of the month.
- Festivals and vratsThe year’s festivals, vrats, Ekadashis and full moons.
- Muhurta finderGood times for everyday undertakings, with the reasons.
- ChoghadiyaThe eight parts of day and night, and which one is running.
- Rahu KaalToday’s Rahu Kaal, Gulika and Yamaganda.
- PanchakPanchak in the coming months, and what the texts say about it.
- BhadraWhen Bhadra (Vishti karana) runs, and where it is said to reside.
- SankrantiThe twelve sankrantis of the year, with times and punya kaal.
- EclipsesThe year’s solar and lunar eclipses, contact times and sutak.
- Date converterThe Hindu date for any Gregorian date.
- Birthday tithiYour janma tithi and its dates in the coming years.
- Name syllablesName syllables for each nakshatra pada, from the avakahada chakra.