Nakshatra
नक्षत्रम्
The Moon circles the Earth against a backdrop of stars, completing one full loop in about 27.3 days. Ancient astronomers divided that loop into 27 equal segments called nakshatras, each named after the star pattern the Moon passes through during that segment — Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, and so on.
Today's nakshatra
Punarvasu
Shown for India (IST). Your own region may look slightly different.
Why it matters
Nakshatra is central to naming ceremonies, muhurta (auspicious timing) selection, and a person's birth-star identity in Vedic astrology — your janma nakshatra (birth nakshatra) is determined by where the Moon was at the moment you were born.
How it's calculated
We track the Moon's sidereal longitude (its position measured against the fixed stars, correcting for the slow wobble of Earth's axis) and divide the sky into 27 equal 13°20' slices.
27 nakshatras
All 27, in order
- 1Ashwini / अश्विनी / అశ్విని
- 2Bharani / भरणी / భరణి
- 3Krittika / कृत्तिका / కృత్తిక
- 4Rohini / रोहिणी / రోహిణి
- 5Mrigashira / मृगशिरा / మృగశిర
- 6Ardra / आर्द्रा / ఆరుద్ర
- 7Punarvasu / पुनर्वसु / పునర్వసు
- 8Pushya / पुष्य / పుష్యమి
- 9Ashlesha / आश्लेषा / ఆశ్లేష
- 10Magha / मघा / మఖ
- 11Purva Phalguni / पूर्व फाल्गुनी / పుబ్బ
- 12Uttara Phalguni / उत्तर फाल्गुनी / ఉత్తర
- 13Hasta / हस्त / హస్త
- 14Chitra / चित्रा / చిత్త
- 15Swati / स्वाती / స్వాతి
- 16Vishakha / विशाखा / విశాఖ
- 17Anuradha / अनुराधा / అనూరాధ
- 18Jyeshtha / ज्येष्ठा / జ్యేష్ట
- 19Mula / मूल / మూల
- 20Purva Ashadha / पूर्वाषाढ़ा / పూర్వాషాఢ
- 21Uttara Ashadha / उत्तराषाढ़ा / ఉత్తరాషాఢ
- 22Shravana / श्रवण / శ్రవణం
- 23Dhanishta / धनिष्ठा / ధనిష్ట
- 24Shatabhisha / शतभिषा / శతభిషం
- 25Purva Bhadrapada / पूर्वभाद्रपदा / పూర్వాభాద్ర
- 26Uttara Bhadrapada / उत्तरभाद्रपदा / ఉత్తరాభాద్ర
- 27Revati / रेवती / రేవతి