Cancer dates in 2027: Monday, June 21, to Thursday, July 22, Eastern Time. The Sun enters Cancer at the June solstice, 10:11 a.m. EDT on June 21, and Leo at 9:04 p.m. EDT on July 22.
The Cancer zodiac sign covers the fourth 30 degrees of the ecliptic, from 90° to 120° of celestial longitude. It always begins at the June solstice, the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Cancer is the longest sign of the tropical zodiac, lasting 31 days and almost 11 hours in 2027, because Earth reaches aphelion, its farthest point from the Sun, during Cancer season.
Published end dates for Cancer range from July 22 to July 23, because the Leo ingress moves by hours each year. In 2027, the Sun enters Leo at 01:04 UTC on Friday, July 23, which is the evening of Thursday, July 22, everywhere in the United States.
A July 22 birthday can therefore be Cancer or Leo, depending on the hour. This page gives the exact 2027 start and end times in every US time zone and the dates for 2024 through 2030. It also compares the Western sign with Vedic Karka and with the Cancer constellation.
Table of Contents
When is Cancer season 2027?
Cancer season 2027 runs from Monday, June 21, at 14:11 UTC to Friday, July 23, at 01:04 UTC, a span of 31 days, 10 hours, and 53 minutes. The start is the June solstice, which the U.S. Naval Observatory times at 10:11 a.m. EDT.
The table below converts both moments to US and international time zones.
| Time zone | Cancer begins (Sun enters Cancer) | Cancer ends (Sun enters Leo) |
|---|---|---|
| UTC | Monday, June 21, 2:11 p.m. | Friday, July 23, 1:04 a.m. |
| US Eastern | Monday, June 21, 10:11 a.m. EDT | Thursday, July 22, 9:04 p.m. EDT |
| US Central | Monday, June 21, 9:11 a.m. CDT | Thursday, July 22, 8:04 p.m. CDT |
| US Mountain | Monday, June 21, 8:11 a.m. MDT | Thursday, July 22, 7:04 p.m. MDT |
| US Pacific | Monday, June 21, 7:11 a.m. PDT | Thursday, July 22, 6:04 p.m. PDT |
| Alaska | Monday, June 21, 6:11 a.m. AKDT | Thursday, July 22, 5:04 p.m. AKDT |
| Hawaii | Monday, June 21, 4:11 a.m. HST | Thursday, July 22, 3:04 p.m. HST |
| London | Monday, June 21, 3:11 p.m. BST | Friday, July 23, 2:04 a.m. BST |
| India | Monday, June 21, 7:41 p.m. IST | Friday, July 23, 6:34 a.m. IST |
| Sydney | Tuesday, June 22, 12:11 a.m. AEST | Friday, July 23, 11:04 a.m. AEST |
In every US time zone, the first full calendar day of Cancer 2027 is Tuesday, June 22, and the last full day is Wednesday, July 21. In the United States, June 21 and July 22 are each split between two signs.
Cancer zodiac sign dates that differ by location
Cancer 2027 ends in the evening in the Americas, but on the next calendar day in Europe, Asia and Australia. As a result, July 22 is Cancer for most of the day in the United States and Cancer for the whole day in the UK, India and Australia. These are the boundaries that matter for births in 2027:
- Monday, June 21: a birth before 10:11 a.m. EDT (7:11 a.m. PDT) is a Gemini; a birth at or after that moment is a Cancer.
- Thursday, July 22: in Eastern Time, a birth before 9:04 p.m. EDT is a Cancer and a birth at or after it is a Leo. The cutoff is 6:04 p.m. PDT in Pacific Time and 3:04 p.m. HST in Hawaii.
- Friday, July 23: In London, a birth before 2:04 a.m. BST is a Cancer. In the United States, all of July 23 is Leo.
The neighbouring signs are covered in Gemini Zodiac Sign and Leo Zodiac Sign.
Cancer dates by year, 2024 to 2030
Cancer always starts at the June solstice and ends when the Sun reaches 120°, so both boundaries move by roughly six hours a year. The table below lists each year’s start and end, drawn from these sources:
| Year | Cancer begins at the June solstice (Eastern Time) | Cancer ends (Sun enters Leo, Eastern Time) | Length of Cancer season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Thursday, June 20, 4:51 p.m. EDT | Monday, July 22, 3:44 a.m. EDT | 31 days, 10 hours, 53 minutes |
| 2025 | Friday, June 20, 10:42 p.m. EDT | Tuesday, July 22, 9:29 a.m. EDT | 31 days, 10 hours, 47 minutes |
| 2026 | Sunday, June 21, 4:24 a.m. EDT | Wednesday, July 22, 3:13 p.m. EDT | 31 days, 10 hours, 49 minutes |
| 2027 | Monday, June 21, 10:11 a.m. EDT | Thursday, July 22, 9:04 p.m. EDT | 31 days, 10 hours, 53 minutes |
| 2028 | Tuesday, June 20, 4:02 p.m. EDT | Saturday, July 22 (UTC date) | Not yet confirmed to the minute |
| 2029 | Wednesday, June 20, 9:48 p.m. EDT | Sunday, July 22 (UTC date) | Not yet confirmed to the minute |
| 2030 | Friday, June 21, 3:31 a.m. EDT | Monday, July 22 (UTC date) | Not yet confirmed to the minute |
Why Cancer is the longest zodiac sign
Cancer is the longest tropical sign because it contains aphelion, the point in early July when Earth is farthest from the Sun and moves most slowly in its orbit.
Every sign spans exactly 30 degrees, but the Sun’s apparent motion along the ecliptic is slowest during Cancer season.
From 2024 to 2027, Cancer lasted between 31 days, 10 hours, 47 minutes and 31 days, 10 hours, 53 minutes.
That is about 3 hours longer than Gemini and two days longer than Capricorn, the shortest sign, which contains perihelion in early January. The Zodiac Signs and Dates hub compares the lengths of all 12 signs.
How to check whether a birthday is Cancer
Use this method for a birth date of June 20, 21, or 22, or July 22 or 23:
- Find that year’s Cancer start or end time in the tables above and convert it to UTC.
- Convert the birth time to UTC, accounting for daylight saving time at the birthplace.
- A birth at or after the start time and before the end time is Cancer.
Holidays and observances during Cancer season 2027
Cancer season 2027 contains one federal holiday, Independence Day, along with the June solstice. The holiday dates below come from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
| Date | Observance | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, June 21, 2027 | June solstice | First day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and first day of Cancer |
| Sunday, July 4, 2027 | Independence Day | Falls on a Sunday |
| Monday, July 5, 2027 | Independence Day (observed) | Federal holiday observed on Monday |
Cancer birthdays in 2027 span two birthstone months, June and July; the June stones are on June Birthstone: Pearl, Moonstone & Alexandrite Colors Guide.
What is the Cancer zodiac sign?
The Cancer zodiac sign is the segment of the ecliptic from 90° to 120° of celestial longitude, the fourth of 12 equal sectors measured from the March equinox.
Its starting point, 90°, is the June solstice, where the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the celestial equator.
Western astrology assigns Cancer the attributes below.
| Attribute | Cancer |
|---|---|
| Position | 4th of 12 signs; ecliptic longitude 90°–120° |
| Symbol | ♋ the crab |
| Element | Water, shared with Scorpio and Pisces |
| Modality | Cardinal, shared with Aries, Libra and Capricorn |
| Ruling planet | Moon |
| Exaltation | Jupiter |
| Detriment | Saturn |
| Fall | Mars |
| Opposite sign | Capricorn |
| Sanskrit name | Karka (Karkata) |
The crab is Karkinos in Greek myth, which attacked Heracles during his fight with the Lernaean Hydra and was crushed under his foot. Hera, Heracles’ enemy, placed the crab in the sky.
Some astrologers call people born under the sign “moon children,” after its ruling body. In astrological tradition, Cancer is associated with protectiveness, sensitivity, and attachment to home.
These are astrological attributions, not findings of psychological research.
Cancer in Vedic astrology: Karka
Vedic (Jyotish) astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, so its Cancer, called Karka, starts about 25 days after the Western sign.
In 2027, the Sun enters sidereal Cancer on Friday, July 16, at 8:22 p.m. EDT (5:52 a.m. IST on Saturday, July 17), according to the Sankranti table published by Drik Panchang. AAPS gives 5:48 a.m. IST on July 17 for the same event.
The 4-minute gap comes from different ayanamsa values; the ayanamsa is the offset each system uses between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs.
This moment is called Karka Sankranti. In the Hindu calendar, it begins Dakshinayana, the six-month half of the year associated with the Sun’s southward course, according to Wikipedia and Boldsky. Sidereal Cancer ends at Simha Sankranti, when the Sun enters sidereal Leo on Tuesday, August 17, 2027, at 4:46 a.m. EDT (2:16 p.m. IST), also per Drik Panchang.
As a result, a person born in Eastern Time between Monday, June 21, and the evening of Friday, July 16, 2027, is a Cancer in Western astrology and a Gemini (Mithuna) in Vedic astrology. Only births from 8:22 p.m. EDT on July 16 to 9:04 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 22, are Cancer in both systems.
The Cancer constellation
The Cancer constellation is separate from the Cancer sign. It is the dimmest of the zodiac constellations, with only two stars brighter than fourth magnitude.
It ranks 31st of the 88 constellations by area, covering 506 square degrees, according to Wikipedia’s constellation entry. These are its best-known features:
- Altarf (Beta Cancri): the brightest star, magnitude 3.53, about 290 light-years away.
- The Beehive Cluster (Praesepe, M44): an open cluster about 590 light-years away with about 50 visible stars, spanning three times the apparent width of the full Moon.
- M67: an older, denser open cluster about 2,600 light-years away with about 200 stars.
The Sun passes in front of the Cancer constellation from about July 20 to August 10, for 21 days, based on EarthSky’s table of constellation entry dates. That is 10 days shorter than the Cancer sign, and it starts a month later.
Why the Tropic of Cancer has its name
The Tropic of Cancer is the northernmost latitude where the Sun can stand directly overhead at noon. It takes its name from the era when the Sun stood among the stars of Cancer at the June solstice.
Precession of the equinoxes has since moved the June solstice point westward, and the Sun now stands in front of Taurus at the solstice, according to Wikipedia. The latitude kept its old name, as the zodiac sign did.
What Cancer is not
Three different things share the name Cancer, and their 2027 dates do not match. The table below compares them.
| Feature | Cancer zodiac sign (tropical) | Karka (sidereal Cancer) | Cancer constellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used by | Western astrology | Vedic astrology, Hindu calendars | Astronomy |
| Defined by | 90° to 120° from the March equinox | Fixed stars, with an ayanamsa | IAU constellation boundaries |
| Length | About 31 days, 11 hours | About 31 days, 8 hours | About 21 days |
| 2027 start (Eastern Time) | Monday, June 21 | Friday, July 16 | About July 20 |
| 2027 end (Eastern Time) | Thursday, July 22 | Tuesday, August 17 | About August 10 |
Cancer is also not a summer sign everywhere. In the Southern Hemisphere, the June solstice is the start of winter, so Cancer season there covers the shortest days of the year.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Cancer zodiac dates?
The Cancer zodiac dates in 2027 are Monday, June 21, to Thursday, July 22, in US Eastern Time. Cancer begins at the June solstice, 10:11 a.m. EDT on June 21, and ends at 9:04 p.m. EDT on July 22, when the Sun enters Leo. The commonly printed range of June 21 to July 22 matches 2027, but the exact start and end hours decide births on those two days.
Is July 22 Cancer or Leo?
July 22, 2027, is mostly Cancer in the United States. The Sun enters Leo at 9:04 p.m. EDT (6:04 p.m. PDT) on Thursday, July 22, 2027, so births before that time are Cancer and births at or after it are Leo. In 2024, 2025, and 2026, Leo began earlier on July 22, at 3:44 a.m., 9:29 a.m., and 3:13 p.m. EDT.
Is June 21 Gemini or Cancer?
June 21, 2027, is split between Gemini and Cancer. Cancer begins at the June solstice, 10:11 a.m. EDT (7:11 a.m. PDT) on Monday, June 21, 2027, so births before that moment are Gemini and births at or after it are Cancer. In 2024 and 2025, the solstice fell on June 20 in Eastern Time, so all of June 21 was Cancer.
Why does Cancer start on the summer solstice?
Cancer starts on the June solstice because the solstice is the moment the Sun reaches 90 degrees of ecliptic longitude, the boundary between Gemini and Cancer. The tropical zodiac is anchored to the equinoxes and solstices, so Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn each begin at one of those four events. In 2027, the June solstice falls at 14:11 UTC on Monday, June 21.
What is the Cancer symbol?
The Cancer symbol is the crab, written with the glyph ♋, two curled strokes facing each other, often read as a crab’s claws. The crab is Karkinos, which Hera placed in the sky after Heracles crushed it during his fight with the Hydra. Cancer is a water sign with cardinal modality, and its ruler is the Moon, according to standard Western astrological references.
When is Karka Sankranti in 2027?
Karka Sankranti 2027 falls on Saturday, July 17, 2027, at 5:52 a.m. IST, which is 8:22 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 16, according to Drik Panchang. It marks the Sun’s entry into sidereal Cancer and the start of Dakshinayana in the Hindu calendar. AAPS lists the same event at 5:48 a.m. IST. Sidereal Cancer lasts until Simha Sankranti on Tuesday, August 17, 2027.
