What your Rising sign is
Your Rising sign, or Ascendant, is the zodiac sign that was coming up over the eastern horizon at the moment you were born. Your Sun sign says who you are at the core, and your Rising sign describes how you meet the world: first impressions, your style, and the way you start new things.
It also sets up the twelve houses of your chart. Your Rising sign is the start of the 1st house, and every other house follows from it, which is why a chart without a birth time has no houses.
Why it needs your birth time and city
The whole zodiac rises over the horizon once a day, so the Rising sign changes roughly every two hours. Near the equator the signs rise at a steady pace. Further north some signs rise in under an hour and others take three.
That makes your birth time the one thing this calculation depends on. Your birth certificate is the best source, and a parent's memory or a baby book is the next best. If you only know the time roughly, try a few times either side: if the sign stays the same, you can trust it.
Also free: the Moon sign calculator, the full birth chart, and a guide to your Big Three.
Common questions
Can I find my Rising sign without a birth time?
Not reliably. Your Rising sign changes about every two hours, so without a time it could be any of the twelve signs. The calculator still shows your Sun and Moon signs from your birth date alone.
Is the Rising sign the same as the Ascendant?
Yes. Rising sign and Ascendant are two names for the same point: the degree of the zodiac on the eastern horizon when you were born.
Why is my Rising sign different from my Sun sign?
Your Sun sign depends on the day you were born and your Rising sign on the time of day. You only share them if you were born around sunrise.
Which birth time should I use if I was born in another country?
Enter the local clock time where you were born and pick that city. The calculator works out the time zone, including daylight saving time, from the place.