Nakshatra Calculator: Find Your Birth Star and Pada
Your birth nakshatra (Janma Nakshatra) is the lunar mansion the Moon occupied when you were born. Enter your date, time and place of birth to get your nakshatra, its pada (quarter), lord, deity and Nadi.
How your nakshatra is calculated
The zodiac is divided into 27 equal nakshatras of 13°20′ (13.3333°) each, starting with Ashwini at 0° sidereal Aries. The calculator converts your local birth time to Universal Time using the time zone rules in force on your birth date, computes the Moon's sidereal longitude with the Lahiri ayanamsa, and divides it by 13°20′. The whole-number part gives the nakshatra; the remainder divided by 3°20′ gives the pada.
Because the Moon moves about 13° a day, it changes nakshatra roughly once every 24 hours. A birth time that is off by an hour can therefore change the result if the Moon was near a boundary.
Worked example
For a birth on 15 August 1990, 6:30 AM, Chennai (IST, UTC+5:30), the Moon's sidereal longitude is 46°33' (16°33' Taurus). Dividing by 13°20′ places it 6°33' into the 4th nakshatra, Rohini, which is pada 2. Rohini is ruled by Moon, so this person's first Vimshottari mahadasha is that of Moon.
All 27 nakshatras
| # | Nakshatra | Zodiac range (sidereal) | Lord | Deity | Nadi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini | Aries 0°00' – 13°20' | Ketu | Ashwini Kumaras | Aadi |
| 2 | Bharani | Aries 13°20' – 26°40' | Venus | Yama | Madhya |
| 3 | Krittika | Aries 26°40' – Taurus 10°00' | Sun | Agni | Antya |
| 4 | Rohini | Taurus 10°00' – 23°20' | Moon | Brahma (Prajapati) | Antya |
| 5 | Mrigashira | Taurus 23°20' – Gemini 6°40' | Mars | Soma | Madhya |
| 6 | Ardra | Gemini 6°40' – 20°00' | Rahu | Rudra | Aadi |
| 7 | Punarvasu | Gemini 20°00' – Cancer 3°20' | Jupiter | Aditi | Aadi |
| 8 | Pushya | Cancer 3°20' – 16°40' | Saturn | Brihaspati | Madhya |
| 9 | Ashlesha | Cancer 16°40' – 30°00' | Mercury | Nagas (Sarpa) | Antya |
| 10 | Magha | Leo 0°00' – 13°20' | Ketu | Pitris | Antya |
| 11 | Purva Phalguni | Leo 13°20' – 26°40' | Venus | Bhaga | Madhya |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni | Leo 26°40' – Virgo 10°00' | Sun | Aryaman | Aadi |
| 13 | Hasta | Virgo 10°00' – 23°20' | Moon | Savitr | Aadi |
| 14 | Chitra | Virgo 23°20' – Libra 6°40' | Mars | Tvashtr (Vishwakarma) | Madhya |
| 15 | Swati | Libra 6°40' – 20°00' | Rahu | Vayu | Antya |
| 16 | Vishakha | Libra 20°00' – Scorpio 3°20' | Jupiter | Indra and Agni | Antya |
| 17 | Anuradha | Scorpio 3°20' – 16°40' | Saturn | Mitra | Madhya |
| 18 | Jyeshtha | Scorpio 16°40' – 30°00' | Mercury | Indra | Aadi |
| 19 | Mula | Sagittarius 0°00' – 13°20' | Ketu | Nirriti | Aadi |
| 20 | Purva Ashadha | Sagittarius 13°20' – 26°40' | Venus | Apas | Madhya |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha | Sagittarius 26°40' – Capricorn 10°00' | Sun | Vishvedevas | Antya |
| 22 | Shravana | Capricorn 10°00' – 23°20' | Moon | Vishnu | Antya |
| 23 | Dhanishtha | Capricorn 23°20' – Aquarius 6°40' | Mars | Eight Vasus | Madhya |
| 24 | Shatabhisha | Aquarius 6°40' – 20°00' | Rahu | Varuna | Aadi |
| 25 | Purva Bhadrapada | Aquarius 20°00' – Pisces 3°20' | Jupiter | Aja Ekapada | Aadi |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada | Pisces 3°20' – 16°40' | Saturn | Ahir Budhnya | Madhya |
| 27 | Revati | Pisces 16°40' – 30°00' | Mercury | Pushan | Antya |
The nakshatra lords repeat in the fixed Vimshottari order — Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury — three times around the zodiac. See the mahadasha calculator for how this sets your dasha periods, or the rashi calculator for your Moon sign.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find my nakshatra without my birth time?
Often, yes. The Moon spends about one day in each nakshatra. Tick “I don't know my birth time” and the calculator checks the Moon at the start and end of your birth date: if it stayed in one nakshatra all day, the result is certain; if not, it shows both possibilities.
What is a nakshatra pada?
Each nakshatra spans 13°20′ of the zodiac and is divided into four padas (quarters) of 3°20′ each. The 27 nakshatras therefore contain 108 padas, nine in each zodiac sign.
Why does another website show a different nakshatra?
Differences almost always come from the ayanamsa (we use Lahiri, the Indian government standard), the time zone or daylight saving applied to the birth time, or a birth time close to the boundary between two nakshatras.
Is the nakshatra the same as the rashi?
No. The rashi (Moon sign) is the 30° sign the Moon occupies; the nakshatra is the smaller 13°20′ lunar mansion within it. Each rashi contains two and a quarter nakshatras.
How is the nakshatra used in Vedic astrology?
The Moon's nakshatra fixes the starting point of the Vimshottari dasha system, is one of the main factors in Ashtakoota marriage matching (through Nadi, Gana and Yoni), and is used to choose auspicious times (Tarabala).