Nakshatra
Glossary · Last updated: 2026-07-26
In Jyotish (Vedic astrology), a nakshatra is a lunar mansion, one of 27 segments along the Moon's sidereal path. Your Janma Nakshatra is the mansion the Moon occupied at birth.
Nakshatras are finer-grained than rashis (moon signs). The Moon moves through a full rashi in about two and a half days, but only partway through several nakshatras in that span.
Why nakshatras matter in our app
Today's Horoscope shows nakshatra and pada (quarter) on the Vedic card when birth time and place help pin down the Moon. With date alone, we estimate at local noon, fine for most dates, unreliable near boundaries.
- 27 nakshatras, each split into four padas
- Sidereal (star-backed) measurement with Lahiri ayanamsa
- Different from Western sun sign or tropical moon sign
Related
Main reading and tools
These are the main reading and calculator pages. Use them for a daily note, a birth-sign tool, or a pair check.
- Today's Horoscope hubAll twelve Western sun-sign daily pages, plus links into the seven-tradition reader.
- Horoscope & Zodiac CompatibilityTwo birth dates for Western, Chinese, and Vedic folk pairing, plus every sun-sign hub.
- Zodiac Sign CalculatorWestern sun sign from birth date, with element, modality, and ruler.
- Vedic Rising Sign CalculatorLagna estimate when you have birth date, time, and place.
- Vedic Moon Sign CalculatorJanma Rashi and nakshatra when birth time and city are available.