Decan 1 · 1–10°
Sub-ruler: Saturn
Double Saturn — the most disciplined and most self-denying.
Roughly the first ten days of the sign.
December 22 – January 19 · Earth · Cardinal · ruled by Saturn
Capricorn
Capricorn covers December 22 – January 19 and is the 10th sign of the zodiac: earth, cardinal, ruled by Saturn. Its keynote is ambition, structure and playing the long game. In 2026 the Sun spends 29.2 days in it — the 12th longest of the twelve, because the signs are not equal in length.
The Capricorn man The Capricorn woman
DatesDecember 22 – January 19
SymbolSea-Goat
ElementEarth
ModalityCardinal
Ruling planetSaturn
House10
PolarityNegative
Lucky numbers4, 8
Lucky daySaturday
ColourBrown, charcoal
BirthstoneGarnet, ruby
Best matches
Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio
Hardest matches
Aquarius, Gemini, Leo
Rules the bodyBones, knees and skin
Calculated, not approximated
Exact Capricorn dates for 2026
Sun enters Capricorn
21 December, 20:54 UTC
Sun leaves Capricorn
20 January, 01:43 UTC
Length this year
-335.8 days
Every other site prints "December 22 – January 19" with a note that dates "may vary by a day". They vary because the Sun crosses the boundary at a specific moment, and that moment shifts each year — but it is not unknowable.
The figures above are computed: the Sun enters Capricorn when its ecliptic longitude reaches 270°, and that crossing is found to the minute. If you were born near a boundary, this is the answer you actually needed.
Calculated from the Sun's actual motion
The zodiac signs are not equal
Capricorn lasts
29.2 days
Rank by length
12 of 12
Share of all births
7.91%
If signs were even
30.44 days · 8.33%
Everyone assumes the twelve signs are equal months. They are not. Capricorn runs 29.2 days in 2026, against 29.20 for the shortest and 31.45 for the longest — a spread of well over two days.
The cause is Kepler's second law. Earth's orbit is an ellipse, and the planet moves slowest at aphelion in early July — so the Sun takes longer to cross the summer signs than the winter ones. Cancer, Gemini and Leo are the long ones; Capricorn, Sagittarius and Aquarius the short.
All twelve, measured
| Sign | Days in 2026 | Rank | Share of births |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | 31.45 | 1 | 8.86% |
| Gemini | 31.33 | 2 | 8.56% |
| Leo | 31.3 | 3 | 9.05% |
| Taurus | 30.96 | 4 | 8.24% |
| Virgo | 30.91 | 5 | 8.86% |
| Aries | 30.45 | 6 | 8.18% |
| Libra | 30.4 | 7 | 8.62% |
| Pisces | 29.95 | 8 | 7.91% |
| Scorpio | 29.9 | 9 | 8.05% |
| Aquarius | 29.59 | 10 | 7.75% |
| Sagittarius | 29.56 | 11 | 8% |
| Capricorn | 29.2 | 12 | 7.91% |
Birth shares combine two separate effects: the uneven length of the signs, and the fact that births themselves are seasonal — the northern hemisphere peaks in July to September. Both push in the same direction, which is why Leo and Virgo come out ahead of Aquarius and Pisces by more than a percentage point.
Rarely covered
The three Capricorn decans
Each sign divides into three ten-degree segments, and each has its own sub-ruler. Two people can both be Capricorn and read as noticeably different because they fall in different decans — roughly, early, middle or late in the sign.
Decan 2 · 11–20°
Sub-ruler: Venus
Warmer and more sociable. Ambition with charm attached.
Roughly the middle ten days of the sign.
Decan 3 · 21–30°
Sub-ruler: Mercury
Strategic and analytical. Plans several moves ahead.
Roughly the last ten days of the sign.
Capricorn personality
Disciplined
Reserved
Ambitious
Pessimistic
Responsible
Strengths
Plans in decades and executes without needing encouragement along the way.
Weaknesses
Measures worth by achievement, and struggles to rest without guilt.
Capricorn is the one cardinal earth sign — and that pairing is the whole explanation. The element sets temperament: earth signs test everything against what can be touched. The modality decides what happens when circumstances change: cardinal signs start the change themselves.
There are exactly twelve combinations of four elements and three modalities, and each is occupied by one sign. That is why no two signs are interchangeable, and why Capricorn cannot be swapped for the other earth signs without changing the meaning.
The Capricorn man and woman
Capricorn man
Reserved, ambitious and dependable. Commitment is demonstrated, not stated.
Capricorn woman
Composed and quietly determined. Builds slowly and does not explain herself.
Worth saying plainly: nothing in astrology assigns different meanings to a sign by gender. These descriptions reflect how the traits are conventionally written about, not a separate system — and plenty of people will recognise themselves in the other one.
Capricorn in each area of life
In love and relationships
Undemonstrative but dependable. Commitment is shown by showing up, not by saying so.
As a friend
Undemonstrative and completely reliable. Turns up with a solution, not sympathy.
At work
Built for institutions and long climbs. Impatient with people who need motivating.
Career that suits
Management, institutions, architecture, law, finance — anywhere a long climb pays.
With money
The most disciplined saver, with a tendency to under-enjoy the results.
As a child
Serious and self-sufficient early. Often described as an old soul, and needs permission to play.
As a parent
Responsible, structured and reliable. Risks valuing achievement over affection.
Health and the body
Bones, knees and skin — Capricorn rules the skeleton, the structure of the body.
Capricorn compatibility with every sign
Ranked by the angle between the two signs on the wheel — the same geometry astrology uses for aspects. Signs 120° apart share an element and form a trine; 90° apart is a square. Nothing here is a matter of opinion.
| With | Aspect | Angle | Score | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taurus | Trine | 120° | 88% | Earth |
| Virgo | Trine | 120° | 88% | Earth |
| Scorpio | Sextile | 60° | 82% | Water |
| Pisces | Sextile | 60° | 82% | Water |
| Capricorn | Conjunction | 0° | 78% | Earth |
| Cancer | Opposition | 180° | 75% | Water |
| Aries | Square | 90° | 62% | Fire |
| Libra | Square | 90° | 62% | Air |
| Sagittarius | Semi-sextile | 30° | 58% | Fire |
| Aquarius | Semi-sextile | 30° | 58% | Air |
| Gemini | Quincunx | 150° | 55% | Air |
| Leo | Quincunx | 150° | 55% | Fire |
Famous Capricorns
Michelle Obama, Denzel Washington, Isaac Newton, David Bowie
Lists like this are the weakest evidence in astrology and the most quoted. With roughly a twelfth of all people in any sign, every sign has impressive members — picking four of them proves nothing. Read it as trivia, not as support.
Common questions about Capricorn
What are the exact Capricorn dates?
December 22 – January 19 as usually published. In 2026 specifically the Sun enters on 21 December pm31 20:54 UTC and leaves on 20 January am31 01:43 UTC.
Who is Capricorn most compatible with?
By aspect, Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio. Those sit at the easiest angles on the wheel — but sun signs are one factor of many, and a difficult angle describes friction rather than failure.
What is a Capricorn decan?
A ten-degree third of the sign with its own sub-ruler: Saturn, Venus, Mercury. It is why two people of the same sign born three weeks apart can read quite differently.
What body part does Capricorn rule?
Bones, knees and skin — Capricorn rules the skeleton, the structure of the body.
Is the Capricorn man different from the woman?
Not in the system itself — astrology assigns no gendered meaning to a sign. The separate descriptions above reflect convention in how signs are written about, nothing more.