Libra dates in 2027 are from Thursday, September 23, to Friday, October 22, Eastern Time. The Sun enters Libra at the September equinox, 2:02 a.m. EDT on September 23, and Scorpio at 11:32 a.m. EDT on Saturday, October 23.
The Libra zodiac sign covers the seventh 30 degrees of the ecliptic, from 180° to 210° of celestial longitude. It always begins at the September equinox, the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.
In 2027, Libra begins on Thursday, September 23, in Eastern, Central, and Mountain Time, but on Wednesday, September 22, in Pacific Time, Alaska, and Hawaii, because the equinox falls at 06:02 UTC.
From 2024 to 2026, the equinox fell on September 22 in every US time zone, so the commonly printed “September 23 to October 22” range was a day late in those years. Libra is also the only zodiac sign whose symbol is an object rather than a living figure.
This page gives the exact 2027 start and end times in every US time zone, the dates for 2024 through 2030, and how the Western sign compares with Vedic Tula and the Libra constellation.
Table of Contents
When is Libra season 2027?
Libra season 2027 runs from Thursday, September 23, at 06:02 UTC to Saturday, October 23, at 15:32 UTC, a span of 30 days, 9 hours, and 30 minutes.
It starts at the September equinox, which the U.S. Naval Observatory times at 2:02 a.m. EDT and Wikipedia’s equinox table lists at 06:02 UTC. Moontracks gives the end, when the Sun enters Scorpio, as 15:32 UTC on October 23. Authority Astrology and Augurine confirm the October 23 date.
The table below converts both moments to US and international time zones.
| Time zone | Libra begins (Sun enters Libra) | Libra ends (Sun enters Scorpio) |
|---|---|---|
| UTC | Thursday, September 23, 6:02 a.m. | Saturday, October 23, 3:32 p.m. |
| US Eastern | Thursday, September 23, 2:02 a.m. EDT | Saturday, October 23, 11:32 a.m. EDT |
| US Central | Thursday, September 23, 1:02 a.m. CDT | Saturday, October 23, 10:32 a.m. CDT |
| US Mountain | Thursday, September 23, 12:02 a.m. MDT | Saturday, October 23, 9:32 a.m. MDT |
| US Pacific | Wednesday, September 22, 11:02 p.m. PDT | Saturday, October 23, 8:32 a.m. PDT |
| Alaska | Wednesday, September 22, 10:02 p.m. AKDT | Saturday, October 23, 7:32 a.m. AKDT |
| Hawaii | Wednesday, September 22, 8:02 p.m. HST | Saturday, October 23, 5:32 a.m. HST |
| London | Thursday, September 23, 7:02 a.m. BST | Saturday, October 23, 4:32 p.m. BST |
| India | Thursday, September 23, 11:32 a.m. IST | Saturday, October 23, 9:02 p.m. IST |
| Sydney | Thursday, September 23, 4:02 p.m. AEST | Sunday, October 24, 2:32 a.m. AEDT |
In every US time zone, Friday, October 22, is the last full calendar day of Libra 2027. Scorpio begins on the morning of Saturday, October 23, between 5:32 a.m. in Hawaii and 11:32 a.m. on the East Coast.
Libra zodiac sign dates that differ by location
The start of Libra 2027 falls close to midnight in most US time zones, so September 22 and 23 belong to different signs depending on the time zone. These are the boundaries that matter for US births in 2027:
- Wednesday, September 22: in Pacific Time, a birth at or after 11:02 p.m. PDT is a Libra. The cutoff is 10:02 p.m. AKDT in Alaska and 8:02 p.m. HST in Hawaii. In Eastern, Central, and Mountain Time, all of September 22 is Virgo.
- Thursday, September 23: in Eastern Time, a birth before 2:02 a.m. EDT is a Virgo; in Mountain Time, the cutoff is 12:02 a.m. MDT.
- Saturday, October 23: a birth before 11:32 a.m. EDT (8:32 a.m. PDT) is a Libra; a birth at or after that moment is a Scorpio.
In Sydney, Scorpio does not begin until Sunday, October 24, so all of October 23, 2027, is Libra there. The neighbouring signs are covered in Virgo Zodiac Sign Dates 2027 and Scorpio Zodiac Sign Dates 2027.
Libra dates by year, 2024 to 2030
Libra always starts at the September equinox, and both boundaries shift by roughly six hours each year. The table below lists each year’s start and end, drawn from these sources:
| Year | Libra begins at the September equinox (Eastern Time) | Libra ends (Sun enters Scorpio, Eastern Time) | Length of Libra season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sunday, September 22, 8:43 a.m. EDT | Tuesday, October 22, 6:14 p.m. EDT | 30 days, 9 hours, 31 minutes |
| 2025 | Monday, September 22, 2:19 p.m. EDT | Wednesday, October 22, 11:51 p.m. EDT | 30 days, 9 hours, 32 minutes |
| 2026 | Tuesday, September 22, 8:05 p.m. EDT | Friday, October 23, 5:38 a.m. EDT | 30 days, 9 hours, 33 minutes |
| 2027 | Thursday, September 23, 2:02 a.m. EDT | Saturday, October 23, 11:32 a.m. EDT | 30 days, 9 hours, 30 minutes |
| 2028 | Friday, September 22, 7:45 a.m. EDT | Sunday, October 22, 5:13 p.m. EDT | 30 days, 9 hours, 28 minutes |
| 2029 | Saturday, September 22, 1:37 p.m. EDT | Tuesday, October 23 (UTC date) | Not yet confirmed to the minute |
| 2030 | Sunday, September 22, 7:27 p.m. EDT | Wednesday, October 23 (UTC date) | Not yet confirmed to the minute |
Why the Libra dates move
The Libra dates move because the solar year is about 6 hours longer than a 365-day calendar year, so the September equinox arrives roughly 6 hours later each year until a leap day resets it.
The equinox moved from 8:43 a.m. EDT on September 22, 2024, to 2:19 p.m. in 2025, 8:05 p.m. in 2026, and 2:02 a.m. on September 23 in 2027. In 2028, it moves back to 7:45 a.m. on September 22.
2027 is the only year from 2024 to 2030 in which Libra begins on September 23 in Eastern Time.
Libra season lasts about 30 days and 9.5 hours every year. That is about 1 hour and 20 minutes shorter than Aries, the opposite sign, which begins at the March equinox. The difference comes from Earth moving slightly faster in its orbit during the northern autumn than during the northern spring.
How to check whether a birthday is Libra
Use this method for a birth date of September 22 or 23, or October 22, 23, or 24:
- Find that year’s Libra 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 Libra.
Holidays and observances during Libra season 2027
Libra season 2027 begins at the September equinox and contains one federal holiday, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
| Date | Observance | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, September 23, 2027 | September equinox, 2:02 a.m. EDT | First day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and first day of Libra |
| Monday, October 11, 2027 | Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day | Federal holiday, second Monday in October |
| Sunday, October 17, 2027 | Tula Sankranti, 4:42 p.m. EDT | Sun enters sidereal Libra in the Hindu calendar |
What is the Libra zodiac sign?
The Libra zodiac sign is the segment of the ecliptic from 180° to 210° of celestial longitude, the seventh of 12 equal sectors measured from the March equinox.
Its starting point, 180°, is the September equinox, where the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south. Libra is the first sign of the second half of the zodiac, directly opposite Aries.
Western astrology assigns Libra the attributes below, according to the reference entry on Wikipedia.
| Attribute | Libra |
|---|---|
| Position | 7th of 12 signs; ecliptic longitude 180°–210° |
| Symbol | ♎ the scales |
| Element | Air, shared with Gemini and Aquarius |
| Modality | Cardinal, shared with Aries, Cancer and Capricorn |
| Ruling planet | Venus |
| Exaltation | Saturn |
| Detriment | Mars |
| Fall | Sun |
| Opposite sign | Aries |
| Sanskrit name | Tula |
The scales belong to Themis, the Greek personification of divine law and custom, whose image inspired the modern figure of Lady Justice. The Romans linked the sign to Iustitia.
According to Wikipedia, Libra is the only zodiac sign represented by an object; the other eleven are animals or mythological figures.
Ancient Greek astronomers called this part of the sky Chelae, “the claws,” and treated it as part of Scorpio. In astrological tradition, Libra is associated with diplomacy, fairness, and a concern for relationships. These are astrological attributions, not findings of psychological research.
Libra in Vedic astrology: Tula
Vedic (Jyotish) astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, so its Libra, called Tula, starts about 25 days after the Western sign. In 2027, the Sun enters sidereal Libra on Sunday, October 17, at 4:42 p.m. EDT, which is 2:12 a.m. IST on Monday, October 18, according to the Sankranti table published by Drik Panchang.
AAPS gives 2:08 a.m. IST on October 18 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.
The moment is called Tula Sankranti. Sidereal Libra ends at Vrishchika Sankranti, when the Sun enters sidereal Scorpio on Tuesday, November 16, 2027, at 3:32 p.m. EST, also according to Drik Panchang.
Because of the time difference between India and the United States, Tula Sankranti falls on October 18 in Indian calendars but on October 17 in US Eastern Time.
As a result, a person born in Eastern Time between Thursday, September 23, and the afternoon of Sunday, October 17, 2027, is a Libra in Western astrology and a Virgo (Kanya) in Vedic astrology. Only births from 4:42 p.m. EDT on October 17 to 11:32 a.m. EDT on Saturday, October 23, are Libra in both systems.
The Libra constellation
The Libra constellation is separate from the Libra sign. It ranks 29th of the 88 constellations by area, covering 538 square degrees, according to Wikipedia’s constellation entry. These are its best-known features:
- Zubeneschamali (Beta Librae): the brightest star, magnitude 2.6. Its Arabic name means “the northern claw.”
- Zubenelgenubi (Alpha Librae): magnitude 2.7. Its name means “the southern claw.” Both names preserve the constellation’s earlier identity as the claws of the scorpion.
- Gliese 581: a nearby red dwarf with a planetary system.
- NGC 5897: a globular cluster about 50,000 light-years away.
The Babylonians called these stars MUL Zibanu, “the scales,” and linked them with Shamash, the sun god and patron of justice. The constellation became the scales of Astraea only in the Roman period.
In antiquity, the September equinox lay among these stars, which gave astronomy the term “First Point of Libra.” According to Wikipedia, precession moved the equinox point out of the constellation around 730 BC.
The Sun passes in front of the Libra constellation from about October 31 to November 23, for 23 days, based on EarthSky’s table of constellation entry dates. That is 7 days shorter than the Libra sign lasts, and it begins more than five weeks later, during Western Scorpio season.
What Libra is not
Three different things share the name Libra, and their 2027 dates do not match. The table below compares them.
| Feature | Libra zodiac sign (tropical) | Tula (sidereal Libra) | Libra constellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used by | Western astrology | Vedic astrology, Hindu calendars | Astronomy |
| Defined by | 180° to 210° from the March equinox | Fixed stars, with an ayanamsa | IAU constellation boundaries |
| Length | About 30 days, 9.5 hours | About 30 days | About 23 days |
| 2027 start (Eastern Time) | Thursday, September 23 | Sunday, October 17 | About October 31 |
| 2027 end (Eastern Time) | Saturday, October 23 | Tuesday, November 16 | About November 23 |
Libra is also not an autumn sign everywhere. In the Southern Hemisphere, the September equinox marks the start of spring, so Libra season there is the first month of spring.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Libra dates?
The Libra dates in 2027 are Thursday, September 23, to Friday, October 22, in US Eastern Time. Libra begins at the September equinox, 2:02 a.m. EDT on September 23, and ends at 11:32 a.m. EDT on Saturday, October 23, when the Sun enters Scorpio. In Pacific Time, Alaska and Hawaii, Libra 2027 begins on the evening of Wednesday, September 22.
Is September 22 Virgo or Libra?
September 22, 2027, is Virgo in Eastern, Central, and Mountain Time, because Libra begins at 2:02 a.m. EDT on September 23. In Pacific Time, a birth at or after 11:02 p.m. PDT on September 22 is a Libra. In 2024, 2025, and 2026, the equinox fell on September 22 in every US time zone, so later September 22 births in those years were Libras.
Is October 23 Libra or Scorpio?
October 23, 2027, is split between Libra and Scorpio. The Sun enters Scorpio at 11:32 a.m. EDT (8:32 a.m. PDT) on Saturday, October 23, 2027, so births before that time are Libra and births at or after it are Scorpio. In 2024 and 2025, Scorpio began on October 22 in Eastern Time, so all of October 23 was Scorpio.
Why is Libra the only zodiac sign that is an object?
Libra is the only zodiac sign represented by an object because its symbol, the scales, replaced an earlier image. Ancient Greek astronomers treated these stars as the claws of the scorpion, Chelae, and the Romans recast them as the scales of justice. The Babylonians had already called the stars MUL Zibanu, “the scales,” linked to the sun god Shamash.
What is the Libra symbol?
The Libra symbol is the scales, written with the glyph ♎, a horizontal line beneath a raised curve, usually read as a balance beam. The scales are those of Themis, the Greek personification of law and custom. Libra is an air sign with cardinal modality, and its traditional ruling planet is Venus, according to standard Western astrological references.
When is Tula Sankranti in 2027?
Tula Sankranti 2027 falls on Monday, October 18, 2027, at 2:12 a.m. IST, which is 4:42 p.m. EDT on Sunday, October 17, according to Drik Panchang. It marks the Sun’s entry into sidereal Libra in the Hindu calendar. AAPS lists the same event at 2:08 a.m. IST. Sidereal Libra lasts until Vrishchika Sankranti on Tuesday, November 16, 2027.
