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