White Dew (Bailu 白露): dates, pentads and the BaZi month change
Night temperatures drop and moisture condenses on the grass as white beads of dew. Mornings and evenings in Taiwan get a hint of coolness, though the days are still hot.
White Dew dates, 2026–2035
| Year | Date | Time (Taiwan, UTC+8) | Month pillar from this moment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | September 7 | 22:41 | Ding-You 丁酉 month |
| 2027 | September 8 | 04:28 | Ji-You 己酉 month |
| 2028 | September 7 | 10:22 | Xin-You 辛酉 month |
| 2029 | September 7 | 16:11 | Gui-You 癸酉 month |
| 2030 | September 7 | 21:52 | Yi-You 乙酉 month |
| 2031 | September 8 | 03:50 | Ding-You 丁酉 month |
| 2032 | September 7 | 09:37 | Ji-You 己酉 month |
| 2033 | September 7 | 15:20 | Xin-You 辛酉 month |
| 2034 | September 7 | 21:13 | Gui-You 癸酉 month |
| 2035 | September 8 | 03:02 | Yi-You 乙酉 month |
Times computed by our calendar code (UTC+8); they agree with an astronomical calculation to within about a minute. Between 1901 and 2100, White Dew always falls on September 6–9. Subtract 8 hours for UTC.
The three pentads of White Dew
| Sign of the season | When | |
|---|---|---|
| First pentad | Wild geese arrive (鴻雁來) | about days 1–5 after White Dew |
| Second pentad | Swallows leave (玄鳥歸) | about days 6–10 after White Dew |
| Third pentad | Birds store up food (群鳥養羞) | about days 11–15 after White Dew |
The ancients split each solar term into three pentads (hou 候) of about five days each, and marked them by changes in birds, animals and plants: seventy-two pentads a year. These follow the standard list in Wu Cheng's Yuan-dynasty Collected Explanations of the Seventy-Two Pentads. They were observed in the Yellow River basin, so they do not always match what you see in Taiwan, let alone elsewhere. Some, like hawks turning into doves, record old beliefs rather than biology.
White Dew in the sky: where the Sun is
The solar terms follow the Sun along the ecliptic: one term for every 15°, and White Dew is the moment the Sun reaches longitude 165°. In 2027, at White Dew the Sun sits against the stars of Leo (drowned out by daylight, of course).
What White Dew means in BaZi
White Dew is a jie (節, "node") term: from this moment the You month (酉) begins, the month that roughly matches the 8th lunar month, and the BaZi month pillar switches to a new pillar. The You month's element is Metal, so for people born in it, Metal is usually "in season" and strong in the chart.
BaZi months are not counted from the lunar new moon but from the jie terms: Start of Spring, Awakening of Insects, Pure Brightness, Start of Summer, Grain in Ear, Minor Heat, Start of Autumn, White Dew, Cold Dew, Start of Winter, Major Snow and Minor Cold each open a month. If you were born on the day of a jie term, within a few hours of it, your month pillar (and for the Start of Spring, your year pillar too) can shift by one; it depends on the exact time. See solar term boundaries, and for how the month's heavenly stem is worked out, the month pillar.
Look up the solar terms for any year
Pick a year to list the exact time of all 24 solar terms (Taiwan time, UTC+8) and the month pillar each jie term starts. Add a month and day, such as a birthday, to see which solar-term period it falls in and its month pillar. Everything is calculated in your browser.
The times come from the same calendar code our BaZi charts use; for 1901–2100 they agree with an astronomical calculation to within about a minute. If you were born within minutes of a term changing, see solar term boundaries.
The terms before and after
The previous term is End of Heat; the next is Autumn Equinox.
A straight word: solar terms are astronomy; luck is something else
The twenty-four solar terms divide the year by the Sun's position on the ecliptic, and their times can be computed to the second. BaZi uses them to change the year and the month; that is a rule of calculation. A solar term carries no good or bad luck of its own, and no term is a "better" one to be born in: a chart is read as a whole, by its Five Elements and Ten Gods. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
Born in the You month? See your whole chart
The month branch is the most important pillar in BaZi: it sets how strong each of the Five Elements is. Enter your birth date for a free Four Pillars chart.
White Dew: common questions
What date is White Dew in 2026?
In 2026, White Dew falls on September 7 at 22:41 Taiwan time (UTC+8); in 2027 it is September 8 at 04:28.
Why does White Dew move from year to year?
A solar term is the moment the Sun reaches a set longitude, here 165°. A year is about 365.24 days, not a whole number, and leap years reset the count, so the date drifts within a few days. From 1901 to 2100, White Dew always falls on September 6–9.
What are the three pentads of White Dew?
First: Wild geese arrive (鴻雁來); second: Swallows leave (玄鳥歸); third: Birds store up food (群鳥養羞). They follow the standard Yuan-dynasty list.
What does White Dew do in a BaZi chart?
It is a jie term: from this moment BaZi switches to the You month and the month pillar changes.