<p>You can use the software <a href="https://stellarium.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Stellarium</a>, which is available on most plateforms, and in-browser. With this software, you can show the constellations and the planets at any time and date, and see where the planets are in the sky.</p>

<p>For instance, here you can see that Mars is in Libra and Mercury is in Scorpius. 
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/38GIP.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/38GIP.png" alt="December 12, 2019 at 10 am"></a></p>

<p>At the dates you specified, the positions of the planets were the following
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/nwBzH.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nwBzH.png" alt="December 19, 1664 at 1am"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T09:21:22.987Z
This answer will give you the actual constellation the planet was in, but not the *astrological sign* as the constellations have shifted because of precession (e.g. the vernal equinox is now in Pisces in stead of Aries). Given the choice of words, I think the OP is referring to the astrological sign. I imagine that there will be some astrological software that will give you the astrological sign of a planet.
Dieudonné
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T09:47:45.860Z
@Dieudonné Is astrology on-topic here?
usernumber
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T09:57:20.510Z
No, but I think that is what the OP is asking.
Dieudonné
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T15:27:07.213Z
@Dieudonné, the reason I ask in not due to wanting to use astrology, it just so happens that the houses/signs have been used to record the placement of the planets in the past. Take the example of Zodiac of the Metternich Stele. The use of spherical astronomy helps obtain possible dates for when the planets would be in the positions. It’s a simple zodiac where all 7 traditional planets are in Leo. I’m just trying to learn how to figure out how to calculate the solutions for that zodiac and like 50 others so I can obtain the possible dates within. It’s not for astrology, its for astronomy
Trip
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T16:05:31.803Z
That is an interesting archeoastronomical application! Assuming that Stellarium is able to precess to the dates you need, the solution proposed by @usernumber should work. But this is of course manual work. Do you need to process a large number of planetary positions?
Dieudonné
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T16:16:03.933Z
yes, really beyond softwares I want to learn how to create the softwares so as to be able to provide a number of solutions given a plethora of variables
Trip
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T16:26:18.653Z
@Trip Keep in mind that the calculations for planetary positions may not be valid in the distant past. Especially if they are based on older planetary ephemeris. Recent ephemeris created by JPL, however, cover the whole time span of human history (but not prehistory, i.e. from the year 13200 BC).
Dieudonné
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T16:28:58.077Z
If you are familiar with Python, you might want to look at [astroPy](https://docs.astropy.org/en/stable/coordinates/solarsystem.html). There are off course other libraries in other languages.
Dieudonné
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T16:55:03.930Z
@Dieudonné, yes, there are many variables hence why I want to learn them all and then to use them and to be able to explain them
Trip
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-10T12:38:41.253Z
@usernumber Questions about astrology are off-topic on this site, and astrology-related questions are generally not well-received here. However, [if the questions are motivated by astrological sources but concern only astronomical phenomena, then they are on topic](https://astronomy.meta.stackexchange.com/a/538/16685). OTOH, there's an [older meta post](https://astronomy.meta.stackexchange.com/a/151/16685) with a more definite anti-astrology stance.
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T08:53:38.817Z
2019-12-12T09:00:03.963Z
2019-12-12T09:00:03.963Z
usernumber
<p>Say for example I wanted to know where the planets were on December 19th, 1664, at 1am; how do I figure that out?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T15:19:15.067Z
@usernumber this question relies on observational/spherical astronomy to obtain solutions, not astrology
Trip
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-12T16:17:24.517Z
I remember a book I had once by Gerald Hawkins called Mindsteps to the Cosmos in which he showed how to calculate the positions of the sun and moon (and planets?) for archeoastronomical purposes. He used it, for instance, to calculate the alignments at Stonehenge (these alignments are now discredited, but only on statistical grounds, the algorithms are sound as far as I know). The book contains the algorithms I believe.
Dieudonné
<observational-astronomy><archaeoastronomy>
How do I find the signs that planets are in during any given date?
Trip
# How do I find the signs that planets are in during any given date?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-12-12)

Say for example I wanted to know where the planets were on December 19th, 1664, at 1am; how do I figure that out?

**Tags:** observational-astronomy, archaeoastronomy

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: @username_2 this question relies on observational/spherical astronomy to obtain solutions, not astrology  
> **username_1**: I remember a book I had once by Gerald Hawkins called Mindsteps to the Cosmos in which he showed how to calculate the positions of the sun and moon (and planets?) for archeoastronomical purposes. He used it, for instance, to calculate the alignments at Stonehenge (these alignments are now discredited, but only on statistical grounds, the algorithms are sound as far as I know). The book contains the algorithms I believe.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-12-12. Score: 4

You can use the software [Stellarium](https://stellarium.org/), which is available on most plateforms, and in-browser. With this software, you can show the constellations and the planets at any time and date, and see where the planets are in the sky.

For instance, here you can see that Mars is in Libra and Mercury is in Scorpius.
[![December 12, 2019 at 10 am](https://i.sstatic.net/38GIP.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/38GIP.png)

At the dates you specified, the positions of the planets were the following
[![December 19, 1664 at 1am](https://i.sstatic.net/nwBzH.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/nwBzH.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This answer will give you the actual constellation the planet was in, but not the *astrological sign* as the constellations have shifted because of precession (e.g. the vernal equinox is now in Pisces in stead of Aries). Given the choice of words, I think the OP is referring to the astrological sign. I imagine that there will be some astrological software that will give you the astrological sign of a planet.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 Is astrology on-topic here?  
> **username_1**: No, but I think that is what the OP is asking.  
> **username_0**: @username_1, the reason I ask in not due to wanting to use astrology, it just so happens that the houses/signs have been used to record the placement of the planets in the past. Take the example of Zodiac of the Metternich Stele. The use of spherical astronomy helps obtain possible dates for when the planets would be in the positions. It’s a simple zodiac where all 7 traditional planets are in Leo. I’m just trying to learn how to figure out how to calculate the solutions for that zodiac and like 50 others so I can obtain the possible dates within. It’s not for astrology, its for astronomy  
> **username_1**: That is an interesting archeoastronomical application! Assuming that Stellarium is able to precess to the dates you need, the solution proposed by @username_2 should work. But this is of course manual work. Do you need to process a large number of planetary positions?  
> **username_0**: yes, really beyond softwares I want to learn how to create the softwares so as to be able to provide a number of solutions given a plethora of variables  
> **username_1**: @username_0 Keep in mind that the calculations for planetary positions may not be valid in the distant past. Especially if they are based on older planetary ephemeris. Recent ephemeris created by JPL, however, cover the whole time span of human history (but not prehistory, i.e. from the year 13200 BC).  
> **username_1**: If you are familiar with Python, you might want to look at [astroPy](https://docs.astropy.org/en/stable/coordinates/solarsystem.html). There are off course other libraries in other languages.  
> **username_0**: @username_1, yes, there are many variables hence why I want to learn them all and then to use them and to be able to explain them  
> **username_3**: @username_2 Questions about astrology are off-topic on this site, and astrology-related questions are generally not well-received here. However, [if the questions are motivated by astrological sources but concern only astronomical phenomena, then they are on topic](https://astronomy.meta.stackexchange.com/a/538/16685). OTOH, there's an [older meta post](https://astronomy.meta.stackexchange.com/a/151/16685) with a more definite anti-astrology stance.  

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