Sun signs The portion of the sky (or arc) that the sun travels in every year, rising and setting in a slightly different place each day, is in reality a reflection of the Earth's own orbit around the Sun. This apparent path of the Sun through the sky is called the ecliptic. The arc of the ecliptic is larger the further north or south from the equator the latitude is, giving a more extreme difference in day and night and in the seasons during the year. The sun travels through the twelve signs of the zodiac on its annual journey, spending about a month in each. The Sun's position on a person's birthday therefore determines what is usually called his or her , birth sign or zodiac sign, although it is in fact more accurate to call it a person's Sun sign. The concept of sun signs is most commonly used in the West where the majority of people are familiar with their sun sign. The zodiac sign and occupied by the sun will indicate how a person focuses their energies and activities, and how they integrate the different parts of their personality into a coherent whole. It shows the mode of expression the person uses to feel most alive and vital, and how they seek admiration, notice and respect from those around them. Sun sign dates Below are each of the signs with a brief description of their characteristics, and their approximate corresponding dates when the sun enters and leaves each sign using the tropical zodiac. The precise date varies slightly from year to year, owing to the leap year adjustment. A person born on the first or last day of a sign is on what is called the cusp and needs to check their exact time of birth to be sure of their sun sign. Aries (March 21 - April 20): Assertive, impulsive. Taurus (April 21 - May 20): Resourceful, thorough, sometimes indulgent. Gemini (May 21 - June 21): Logical, inquisitive, sometimes superficial. Cancer (June 22 - July 22): Tenacious, sensitive, sometimes clinging. Leo (July 23 - August 23): Generous, proud, sometimes arrogant. Virgo (August 24 - September 23): Practical, efficient, sometimes over-critical. Libra (September 24 - October 23): Co-operative, fair, sometimes lazy. Scorpio (October 24 - November 22): Passionate, sensitive, sometimes obsessive. Sagittarius (November 23 - December 21): Intelligent, straightforward, sometimes careless. Capricorn (December 22 - January 20): Prudent, ambitious, sometimes suspicious. Aquarius (January 21 - February 19): Humanitarian, unconventional, sometimes detached. Pisces (February 20 - March 20): Imaginative, sensitive, sometimes impractical. Sun Entering New Sign 1. The Sun goes into the Aries on March 21 at 5:20 pm. 2. The Sun goes into the Taurus on April 20 at 11:00 pm. 3. The Sun goes into the Gemini on May 22 at 1:40 pm. 4 The Sun goes into the Cancer on June 22 at 6:31 pm. 5. The Sun goes into the Leo on July 24 at 3:00 pm. 6. The Sun goes into the Virgo on August 24 at 3:00 pm. 7. The Sun goes into the Libra on September 23 at 12:00 pm. 8. The Sun goes into the Scorpio on October 24 at 3:30 pm. 9. The Sun goes into the Sagittarius on November 23 at 10:30 pm. 10. The Sun goes into the Capricorn on December 22 at 3:20 pm. 11. The Sun goes into the Aquarius on January 21 at 2:20 pm.\ 12. The Sun goes into the Pisces on February 20 at 2:20 pm.