The Leo sign guide
- Dates
- July 23 – August 22
- Element
- Fire
- Modality
- Fixed
- Ruled by
- Sun
Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac and the only one ruled by the Sun. In astrology it's the sign of pride and of wanting to make something that's recognizably yours.
What type of person is a Leo?
Leo is fixed fire. In astrology, fire signs are linked with enthusiasm and starting things, fixed signs with staying power. In a Leo that persistence usually goes into a project or into people they take pride in. They want to put their name on something and see it through.
The Sun rules Leo, and Ptolemy gives the reasoning in the Tetrabiblos. Cancer and Leo were the signs "most productive of heat," so they went to the two lights, with Leo, the masculine one, going to the Sun (Book I, chapter 17). Astrologers read the Sun as identity and purpose, so a Leo Sun is at home in its own sign.
Most of the time that pride comes out as generosity. Leos tend to be the ones who organize the birthday dinner or talk up a friend's work to anyone who'll listen. Plenty of Leos are quiet about it, too. The pride is in the work, and they don't always need a stage.
Recognition is the sore spot. When a Leo's effort goes unnoticed it can turn into resentment, and admitting a mistake is hard once they've taken charge. Asking for help can feel like losing face.
Don't quite see yourself in Leo? For most people, the Moon or Rising sits in another sign. Find my Moon and Rising free
Leo dates: is July 22 Cancer or Leo?
Most lists give Leo as July 23 to August 22. The Sun doesn't follow the calendar that neatly. It enters Leo when it reaches 0° of the sign, and that moment lands about six hours later each year until a leap year pulls it back a day. We computed each entry on NASA's DE440s ephemeris and checked it against JPL Horizons; the two agree within two seconds.
So a July 22 birth in one of these years is Leo after the time in the table and Cancer before it, in Eastern time. On the West Coast, take three hours off. At the other end, the Sun moves into Virgo on August 22 at 10:19 p.m. EDT in 2026, on August 23 at 4:14 a.m. EDT in 2027 and on August 22 at 10:01 a.m. EDT in 2028. An August 23, 2027 birth before 4:14 a.m. Eastern is still a Leo.
Leo season is also one of the busiest stretches of the year for births. In Social Security Administration counts for 2000 to 2014, published by FiveThirtyEight, 8.88% of US babies were born between July 23 and August 22, though those dates are 8.49% of the calendar. That's 11,874 births on an average day, second only to Virgo's 11,989.
When the Sun enters Leo (UT is EDT plus four hours) | Year | US Eastern | UT |
|---|
| 2026 | July 22, 3:13 p.m. EDT | July 22, 19:13 |
| 2027 | July 22, 9:05 p.m. EDT | July 23, 01:05 |
| 2028 | July 22, 2:54 a.m. EDT | July 22, 06:54 |
Eclipses and Jupiter in Leo, 2026 to 2028
Jupiter entered Leo on June 30, 2026 and moves on into Virgo on July 26, 2027, at 12:49 a.m. EDT. It last passed through Leo in 2014 and 2015. For its retrograde dates and a reading by rising sign, see the Jupiter in Leo 2026 guide.
Two total solar eclipses land in Leo in this window, with dates from NASA's solar eclipse catalog and degrees from our own ephemeris run. The eclipse of August 12, 2026 fell at 20°02' Leo, with totality over Greenland, Iceland and Spain. The one on August 2, 2027 falls at 9°55' Leo and brings up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality, the longest in NASA's table for 2021 to 2030.
The total solar eclipse NASA dates July 22, 2028 (the evening of July 21 in US Eastern time) is a different story. It falls at 29°51' Cancer, about four hours before the Sun crosses into Leo, so it counts as a Cancer eclipse whatever the calendar date suggests.
Leo in love and friendship
A Leo in love tends to be openly affectionate and loyal, and expects the same back in plain view. Being taken for granted hurts more than an argument does. In friendship they're often the planner and the loudest supporter, and they notice who shows up for them in return.
Astrology's usual pairing puts Leo with the other fire signs, Aries and Sagittarius, and with Gemini and Libra, the air signs a sextile away. Aquarius is the opposite sign, and astrologers often read that pairing as personal recognition pulling against the group. These are sign-to-sign rules of thumb, and a Sun sign is a thin basis for choosing a partner.
Astrologers also look at the Venus sign when they read affection. For a Leo it can only be Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo or Libra, because Venus never gets more than about 47° from the Sun. A Leo with Venus in Virgo may show love by handling the details rather than with a grand gesture.
The rising sign describes someone's outward manner, which is why some Leos don't recognize themselves in the stereotype. A Leo Sun with Capricorn or Virgo rising can come across as reserved at first.