Solar Return

Endpoint POST https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return

Overview

Calculates the solar return chart — the exact moment the transiting Sun returns to its natal longitude in the specified year. Returns the full chart: SR planet positions, house cusps, aspects, and angles. This is the raw calculation version; for SR with text interpretations, use predictions/solar-return.

Authentication

Method	Example
Header (recommended)	`X-Api-Key: sa_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx`
Bearer	`Authorization: Bearer sa_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx`

Request body

Field	Type	Required	Description
`year` – `minute`		Yes	Standard birth data fields.
`latitude`, `longitude`	number	Yes	Birth location.
`timezone`	string	Yes	IANA timezone.
`house_system`	string	No	Default `placidus`.
`node_type`	string	No	Default `true`.
`return_year`	integer	No	Year to calculate the solar return for. Defaults to the current year if omitted.
`return_latitude`	number	No	Relocation latitude. Default: birth latitude.
`return_longitude`	number	No	Relocation longitude. Default: birth longitude.
`return_timezone`	string	No	Relocation timezone. Default: birth timezone.

Relocation

Solar return charts are location-sensitive — the house cusps change based on where the native is at the moment of the return. Pass return_latitude, return_longitude, and return_timezone to compute the SR chart for a different location (e.g. the native moved cities).

Response shape

Field	Description
`solar_return_moment`	Exact timestamp and UTC datetime of the solar return.
`return_year`	Year requested (or the current year if it defaulted).
`return_year_source`	`provided` if `return_year` was passed, or `current_year` if it defaulted.
`solar_return_period`	SR year span (this return → next return): local & UTC start/end, day count, and ready-to-display `duration_text` / `duration_text_long`.
`return_location`	Location used for the SR chart (birth or relocation).
`sr_planets`	Full planet positions at the SR moment.
`sr_ascendant` / `sr_midheaven`	SR angles.
`sr_house_cusps`	SR house cusps.
`sr_aspects`	Aspects within the SR chart.
`natal_sun_longitude`	The natal Sun longitude used.

Errors

HTTP	Code	Cause
400	`MISSING_FIELD`	Required field absent. `return_year` is optional (defaults to current year).
500	`COMPUTE_ERROR`	Solar return moment not found.
500	`EPHEMERIS_ERROR`	Computation failed.

# Replace YOUR_API_KEY with the key from your dashboard
curl -X POST "https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
        "year": 1990,
        "month": 5,
        "day": 20,
        "hour": 14,
        "minute": 30,
        "second": 0,
        "latitude": 28.6139,
        "longitude": 77.209,
        "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata",
        "house_system": "placidus",
        "node_type": "true",
        "return_year": 2026
    }'

const response = await fetch(
  'https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      year: 1990,
      month: 5,
      day: 20,
      hour: 14,
      minute: 30,
      second: 0,
      latitude: 28.6139,
      longitude: 77.209,
      timezone: 'Asia/Kolkata',
      house_system: 'placidus',
      node_type: 'true',
      return_year: 2026
    })
  }
);
const result = await response.json();

if (result.success) {
  console.log(result.data);
}

import requests
import os

response = requests.post(
    'https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return',
    headers={'X-Api-Key': os.environ['STARSAPI_KEY']},
    json={
        'year': 1990,
        'month': 5,
        'day': 20,
        'hour': 14,
        'minute': 30,
        'second': 0,
        'latitude': 28.6139,
        'longitude': 77.209,
        'timezone': 'Asia/Kolkata',
        'house_system': 'placidus',
        'node_type': 'true',
        'return_year': 2026
    }
)
result = response.json()

if result['success']:
    print(result['data'])

<?php
$payload = [
    'year' => 1990,
    'month' => 5,
    'day' => 20,
    'hour' => 14,
    'minute' => 30,
    'second' => 0,
    'latitude' => 28.6139,
    'longitude' => 77.209,
    'timezone' => 'Asia/Kolkata',
    'house_system' => 'placidus',
    'node_type' => 'true',
    'return_year' => 2026,
];

$ch = curl_init('https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode($payload));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    'X-Api-Key: ' . getenv('STARSAPI_KEY'),
    'Content-Type: application/json'
]);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
$data = json_decode($response, true);

if ($data['success']) {
    print_r($data['data']);
}

import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;
import 'dart:convert';

Future<Map<String, dynamic>> getAscendant() async {
  final response = await http.post(
    Uri.parse('https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return'),
    headers: {
      'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: jsonEncode({
      'year': 1990,
      'month': 5,
      'day': 20,
      'hour': 14,
      'minute': 30,
      'second': 0,
      'latitude': 28.6139,
      'longitude': 77.209,
      'timezone': 'Asia/Kolkata',
      'house_system': 'placidus',
      'node_type': 'true',
      'return_year': 2026,
    }),
  );
  return jsonDecode(response.body);
}

import Foundation

func getAscendant() async throws -> [String: Any] {
    var request = URLRequest(url: URL(string:
        "https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return"
    )!)
    request.httpMethod = "POST"
    request.setValue("YOUR_API_KEY", forHTTPHeaderField: "X-Api-Key")
    request.setValue("application/json", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
    request.httpBody = """
        {
            "year": 1990,
            "month": 5,
            "day": 20,
            "hour": 14,
            "minute": 30,
            "second": 0,
            "latitude": 28.6139,
            "longitude": 77.209,
            "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata",
            "house_system": "placidus",
            "node_type": "true",
            "return_year": 2026
        }
        """.data(using: .utf8)

    let (data, _) = try await URLSession.shared.data(for: request)
    return try JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data) as! [String: Any]
}

import okhttp3.*
import org.json.JSONObject

val client = OkHttpClient()
val JSON = "application/json; charset=utf-8".toMediaType()

fun getAscendant(callback: (JSONObject) -> Unit) {
    val payload = """
    {
        "year": 1990,
        "month": 5,
        "day": 20,
        "hour": 14,
        "minute": 30,
        "second": 0,
        "latitude": 28.6139,
        "longitude": 77.209,
        "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata",
        "house_system": "placidus",
        "node_type": "true",
        "return_year": 2026
    }
    """.trimIndent()

    val request = Request.Builder()
        .url("https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return")
        .addHeader("X-Api-Key", "YOUR_API_KEY")
        .post(payload.toRequestBody(JSON))
        .build()

    client.newCall(request).enqueue(object : Callback {
        override fun onResponse(call: Call, response: Response) {
            callback(JSONObject(response.body!!.string()))
        }
        override fun onFailure(call: Call, e: java.io.IOException) {
            e.printStackTrace()
        }
    })
}

package main

import (
    "bytes"
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
    "os"
)

func main() {
    payload, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
        "year": 1990,
        "month": 5,
        "day": 20,
        "hour": 14,
        "minute": 30,
        "second": 0,
        "latitude": 28.6139,
        "longitude": 77.209,
        "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata",
        "house_system": "placidus",
        "node_type": "true",
        "return_year": 2026,
    })

    req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST",
        "https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return",
        bytes.NewBuffer(payload))
    req.Header.Set("X-Api-Key", os.Getenv("STARSAPI_KEY"))
    req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")

    resp, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    var result map[string]interface{}
    json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&result)
    fmt.Println(result["data"])
}

require 'net/http'
require 'json'

uri = URI('https://starsapi.com/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return')
payload = {
  'year' => 1990,
  'month' => 5,
  'day' => 20,
  'hour' => 14,
  'minute' => 30,
  'second' => 0,
  'latitude' => 28.6139,
  'longitude' => 77.209,
  'timezone' => 'Asia/Kolkata',
  'house_system' => 'placidus',
  'node_type' => 'true',
  'return_year' => 2026
}

req = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri)
req['X-Api-Key'] = ENV['STARSAPI_KEY']
req['Content-Type'] = 'application/json'
req.body = payload.to_json

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = true
res = http.request(req)

data = JSON.parse(res.body)
puts data['data'] if data['success']

200 RESPONSE

{
  "status": 200,
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "solar_return_moment": { "timestamp": 1779473820, "utc_datetime": "2026-05-20 08:37:00 UTC" },
    "return_year": 2026,
    "return_year_source": "provided",
    "solar_return_period": {
      "start_local": "2026-05-20 14:07:00",
      "end_local": "2027-05-21 19:55:00",
      "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata",
      "start_utc": "2026-05-20 08:37:00 UTC",
      "end_utc": "2027-05-21 14:25:00 UTC",
      "days": 366,
      "duration_text": "20 May 2026 \u2013 21 May 2027",
      "duration_text_long": "Solar Return 2026: in effect from 20 May 2026 to 21 May 2027 (366 days)"
    },
    "return_location": { "latitude": 28.6139, "longitude": 77.209, "timezone": "Asia/Kolkata" },
    "sr_planets": { "Sun": { "longitude": 59.09, "sign": "Taurus", "...": "..." } },
    "sr_ascendant": { "longitude": 102.5, "sign": "Cancer" },
    "sr_midheaven": { "longitude": 12.3, "sign": "Aries" },
    "sr_house_cusps": { "1": { "longitude": 102.5 }, "...": "..." },
    "sr_aspects": [ { "planet1": "Sun", "planet2": "Jupiter", "aspect": "Trine", "orb": 1.2 } ],
    "natal_sun_longitude": 59.09
  },
  "meta": { "endpoint": "/api/v3/western/forecasting/solar-return", "version": "3.0" }
}