Lookup & Reference
Fixed annual date-band lookup: season labels and conventional zodiac bands
Use month/day thresholds for recurring annual categories, including bands crossing January 1.
Represent a band crossing January 1 with two anchors
Start the threshold list at January 1 and repeat the winter or Capricorn label at its December threshold.
The MMDD integer supports recurring fixed bands. It does not calculate astronomical transitions.
| Sample Date (A) | MMDD Key | Matched Zodiac | Illustrative fixed season label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-01-10 | 110 (>= 101) | Capricorn | Winter (101..319) |
| 2026-03-25 | 325 (>= 321) | Aries | Spring (320..620) |
| 2004-08-05 | 805 (>= 723) | Leo | Summer (621..921) |
| 1988-12-28 | 1228 (>= 1222) | Capricorn (Wrap!) | Winter (1221..1231) |
Conventional zodiac label lookup
match_mode = -1 in XLOOKUP snaps to the largest start MMDD less than or equal to the input date.
=XLOOKUP(MONTH(A2)*100 + DAY(A2), {101;120;219;321;420;521;621;723;823;923;1023;1122;1222}, {"Capricorn";"Aquarius";"Pisces";"Aries";"Taurus";"Gemini";"Cancer";"Leo";"Virgo";"Libra";"Scorpio";"Sagittarius";"Capricorn"}, "", -1)Illustrative fixed Northern Hemisphere season bands
Maps 101 -> Winter, 320 -> Spring, 621 -> Summer, 922 -> Autumn, 1221 -> Winter.
=XLOOKUP(MONTH(A2)*100 + DAY(A2), {101;320;621;922;1221}, {"Winter";"Spring";"Summer";"Autumn";"Winter"}, "", -1)Inputs and interpretation
This demonstrates fixed month/day lookup bands. Astronomical season boundaries vary with year and time zone, and reverse by hemisphere; the fixed labels below are illustrative rather than an ephemeris. The zodiac bands are conventional labels for this example, not an astronomical calculation.
Try the example
Use the original values or change them to test your understanding.