Free Astrology Calculator
Nakshatra Calculator
Find your birth nakshatra: the lunar mansion the Moon held when you were born. Enter your birth details to see its pada, ruling planet, deity and symbol, and the Vimshottari periods that begin from it.
Today's Nakshatra
Quick Answer
The Moon is in Purva Bhadrapada nakshatra, ruled by Jupiter, from October 22, 2026 at 11:19 AM ET (8:49 PM IST) until October 23, 2026 at 11:33 AM ET (9:03 PM IST), when it moves into Uttara Bhadrapada. Positions use the Lahiri ayanamsa.
Computed October 22, 2026 at 22:18 UTC.
What a Nakshatra Is
Since Vedic times, Indian astrologers have followed the Moon through 27 nakshatras, the lunar mansions it visits on its monthly round. Each spans 13°20' of the sidereal zodiac, has its own presiding deity and symbol, and is ruled by one of nine planets. The Moon spends about a day in each, so the nakshatra describes something finer than the Moon sign: the particular texture of your mind and feeling, the way you take in the world and find your footing in it.
Your birth nakshatra describes a quality to understand and grow into. Sitting with its symbol and its deity is a way to notice your own habits of attention with a little more kindness.
The 27 Nakshatras
| Nakshatra | Sidereal Span | Lord | Deity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ashwini | 0°00' Aries to 13°20' Aries | Ketu | The Ashvins, twin healers |
| 2. Bharani | 13°20' Aries to 26°40' Aries | Venus | Yama, keeper of death and dharma |
| 3. Krittika | 26°40' Aries to 10°00' Taurus | Sun | Agni, fire |
| 4. Rohini | 10°00' Taurus to 23°20' Taurus | Moon | Prajapati (Brahma), the creator |
| 5. Mrigashira | 23°20' Taurus to 6°40' Gemini | Mars | Soma, the Moon's nectar |
| 6. Ardra | 6°40' Gemini to 20°00' Gemini | Rahu | Rudra, the storm |
| 7. Punarvasu | 20°00' Gemini to 3°20' Cancer | Jupiter | Aditi, mother of the gods |
| 8. Pushya | 3°20' Cancer to 16°40' Cancer | Saturn | Brihaspati, teacher of the gods |
| 9. Ashlesha | 16°40' Cancer to 0°00' Leo | Mercury | The Nagas, serpent beings |
| 10. Magha | 0°00' Leo to 13°20' Leo | Ketu | The Pitris, the ancestors |
| 11. Purva Phalguni | 13°20' Leo to 26°40' Leo | Venus | Bhaga, god of delight and shared fortune |
| 12. Uttara Phalguni | 26°40' Leo to 10°00' Virgo | Sun | Aryaman, god of friendship and contracts |
| 13. Hasta | 10°00' Virgo to 23°20' Virgo | Moon | Savitar, the creative sun |
| 14. Chitra | 23°20' Virgo to 6°40' Libra | Mars | Tvashtar, the divine craftsman |
| 15. Swati | 6°40' Libra to 20°00' Libra | Rahu | Vayu, the wind |
| 16. Vishakha | 20°00' Libra to 3°20' Scorpio | Jupiter | Indra and Agni together |
| 17. Anuradha | 3°20' Scorpio to 16°40' Scorpio | Saturn | Mitra, god of friendship |
| 18. Jyeshtha | 16°40' Scorpio to 0°00' Sagittarius | Mercury | Indra, chief of the gods |
| 19. Mula | 0°00' Sagittarius to 13°20' Sagittarius | Ketu | Nirriti, goddess of dissolution |
| 20. Purva Ashadha | 13°20' Sagittarius to 26°40' Sagittarius | Venus | Apas, the waters |
| 21. Uttara Ashadha | 26°40' Sagittarius to 10°00' Capricorn | Sun | The Vishvedevas, the universal gods |
| 22. Shravana | 10°00' Capricorn to 23°20' Capricorn | Moon | Vishnu, the preserver |
| 23. Dhanishta | 23°20' Capricorn to 6°40' Aquarius | Mars | The eight Vasus, gods of the elements |
| 24. Shatabhisha | 6°40' Aquarius to 20°00' Aquarius | Rahu | Varuna, lord of the cosmic waters |
| 25. Purva Bhadrapada | 20°00' Aquarius to 3°20' Pisces | Jupiter | Aja Ekapada, the one-footed goat |
| 26. Uttara Bhadrapada | 3°20' Pisces to 16°40' Pisces | Saturn | Ahir Budhnya, serpent of the deep |
| 27. Revati | 16°40' Pisces to 0°00' Aries | Mercury | Pushan, guardian of travelers |
How This Calculator Works
- The Moon's position comes from the same ephemeris as every Selfgazer chart, held to the Swiss Ephemeris within half an arcminute.
- The ayanamsa converts it to the sidereal zodiac. Lahiri, the standard of India's national calendar, is the default and matches its published definition to within a fifth of an arcsecond.
- Without a birth time, the calculator scans your whole birth date and gives the local time the Moon changed nakshatra.
- Vimshottari periods start from the Moon's exact place in its nakshatra and use years of 365.25 days.
For the full chart with the Lagna, all nine grahas and the navamsa, use the sidereal birth chart calculator.
Nakshatra Questions
What Is My Birth Nakshatra?
Your birth nakshatra (janma nakshatra) is the lunar mansion the Moon occupied in the sidereal zodiac at the moment you were born. The zodiac is divided into 27 nakshatras of 13°20' each, so the Moon spends about a day in each one.
What Is a Nakshatra Pada?
Each nakshatra divides into four padas (quarters) of 3°20'. The pada refines the reading of the nakshatra and fixes the navamsa sign, so Rohini pada 1 has an Aries navamsa and pada 4 a Cancer navamsa. Padas are also used to choose the first syllable of a name.
Do I Need My Birth Time to Find My Nakshatra?
Usually yes. The Moon crosses a whole nakshatra in about a day, so on most birth dates it occupies two nakshatras. Without a time, the calculator shows both and the local time the Moon moved from one to the other.
What Is the Nakshatra Lord?
Each nakshatra is ruled by one of nine planets in a repeating order: Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury. The lord of the Moon's nakshatra at birth opens the Vimshottari dasha sequence.
How Is the Vimshottari Dasha Calculated?
The 120-year Vimshottari cycle gives each nakshatra lord a period: Ketu 7 years, Venus 20, Sun 6, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Jupiter 16, Saturn 19 and Mercury 17. Life begins in the period of the Moon's nakshatra lord, with the share of its years that the Moon had still to travel through the nakshatra. This calculator counts years of 365.25 days.
Is the Nakshatra the Same as My Moon Sign?
They are related. The Moon sign is the sidereal sign holding the Moon; the nakshatra is the smaller lunar mansion within it. Some nakshatras span two signs, so two people with the same nakshatra can have different Moon signs.
Why Does Another Site Give a Different Nakshatra?
Most often the birth time or time zone differs, or the Moon was near the edge of a nakshatra. A different ayanamsa moves the Moon by up to about two degrees, which can also change the nakshatra or pada. This calculator uses Lahiri by default and lets you choose another.