App Support

Thank you for using Planetary Hours. We are dedicated to providing you with an authentic planetary hours calculation experience based on ancient Chaldean astrology. If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, please refer to the information below.

About Planetary Hours

Planetary Hours is a professional astrology time calculation tool based on the ancient Chaldean order system. It divides each day and night into 12 planetary hours based on sunrise and sunset times, with each hour ruled by one of the seven classical planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon).

Key Features:

Understanding Planetary Hours

What Are Planetary Hours?

Planetary hours are an ancient timekeeping system based on Chaldean astrology. Unlike conventional clock hours, planetary hours vary in length throughout the year:

Planetary hours change daily based on the day of the week, local sunrise/sunset times, and your geographic location.

The Seven Classical Planets

Each planetary hour is ruled by one of the seven classical planets in Chaldean order (from slowest to fastest):

How Planetary Hours Work

Each day of the week is ruled by a specific planet:

The first planetary hour of each day is ruled by that day's planet. Subsequent hours follow the Chaldean order in cyclical pattern.

App Features

1. Home Tab

Current Hour Display: Shows the current planetary hour with its ruling planet, remaining time, and progress ring.

Planet Information: Tap on the planet to view its keywords and recommended activities.

Quick Actions: Copy time range, jump to timeline, or set notification for the hour.

2. Timeline Tab

24-Hour View: Displays all 24 planetary hours (12 day + 12 night) for the current day.

Visual Indicators: Each hour shows the ruling planet symbol, name, time range, and current location marker.

Tap for Details: Tap any hour to view detailed information and set notifications.

3. Elect Tab (Electional Astrology)

Activity-Based Search: Select an activity category (Business, Love, Health, Travel, etc.) to find the most suitable planetary hours.

Categories: 9 activity categories including Business, Love, Health, Travel, Learning, Spiritual, Politics, Legal, and Creative.

Recommendations: The app shows which planetary hours are ideal, good, or should be avoided for each activity type.

4. Profile Tab

Location Management: Save and manage multiple locations. Switch between current location and saved cities.

Notification Settings: Configure which planetary hours to receive notifications for.

Appearance: Choose between Standard (vibrant) or Soft (muted) color schemes.

Language: Select from 34 supported languages.

Widget and Apple Watch

iOS Widget

Home Screen Widget: Available in Small and Medium sizes

Lock Screen Widget: Available in Circular, Rectangular, and Inline sizes

Displays: Current planetary hour, remaining time, and planet symbol. Data syncs automatically when you change locations or color scheme.

Apple Watch

Watch App: View planetary hours directly on your wrist

Watch Complications: Add planetary hours to your watch face

Data Sync: Syncs with your iPhone; requires the main app to be installed

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why are planetary hours different from clock hours?

Planetary hours are based on the actual time between sunrise and sunset, which changes throughout the year. In summer, daytime planetary hours are longer than nighttime hours. In winter, the opposite is true. At the equinox, day and night hours are equal.

2. How does the app calculate sunrise and sunset times?

The app uses the Solar library (a high-precision astronomical calculation library) to calculate sunrise and sunset times based on your GPS coordinates and the current date. All calculations are performed locally on your device - no internet connection required.

3. Can I use the app without granting location permission?

Yes. If you deny location permission, the app will use Beijing (39.9042°N, 116.4074°E) as the default location. You can also manually select cities from the built-in city database without enabling GPS.

4. How do I save multiple locations?

Go to the Profile tab → tap "Locations" → tap the "+" button → search for a city or select from the list. You can save multiple locations and switch between them at any time.

5. What do I do if I'm in a polar region (polar day/night)?

In polar regions where the sun doesn't set or rise for extended periods, the app will display an error message: "The current location is experiencing polar day/night." This is because the Chaldean planetary hour system requires distinct sunrise and sunset times.

6. How do I change the language?

Go to the Profile tab → tap "Language" → select from 34 available languages. The app will remember your choice.

7. Does the app require an internet connection?

No. Planetary Hours is a completely offline app. All calculations are performed locally on your device, including astronomical calculations, location services (GPS), and data syncing with Widget and Apple Watch.

8. How accurate are the calculations?

The app uses the Solar library, which provides high-precision astronomical calculations. Sunrise/sunset times are typically accurate to within 1-2 minutes. Planetary hour divisions are calculated mathematically based on these times.

9. Can I customize notification sounds?

Notification sounds are managed by iOS. You can customize them in iOS Settings → Notifications → Planetary Hours.

10. Why does the Widget show different data from the app?

The Widget syncs data when it updates. If you change locations or color scheme in the main app, the Widget will update on the next refresh cycle. You can also force-refresh by removing and re-adding the Widget.

Tips & Best Practices

Understanding Activity Categories

The Elect tab includes 9 activity categories based on electional astrology principles:

Feedback

If the above information does not resolve your issue, or if you have found a bug in the app, or if you have any feature suggestions, please feel free to contact us:

Version Updates

We continuously improve Planetary Hours and regularly release updates to optimize user experience, fix issues, and add new features. Please enable automatic updates in the App Store, or check regularly for updates to get the latest version.