One of the five aṅgas · the Moon among the stars
What is a nakṣatra?
A nakṣatra is one of 27 equal sections along the Moon’s path through the star-referenced, or sidereal, zodiac.
Watch the Moon move through 27 equal nakṣatras.
The Moon moves around the star-referenced zodiac through 27 equal sections.
Twenty-seven sections
The Moon’s sidereal position selects the active nakṣatra.
A full circle contains 360 degrees. Dividing it into 27 equal sections makes each nakṣatra 13 degrees and 20 minutes wide. The Moon moves into the next section as its sidereal longitude crosses the next boundary.
The names of the 27 nakṣatras
- 1Aśvinī
- 2Bharaṇī
- 3Kṛttikā
- 4Rohiṇī
- 5Mṛgaśīrṣa
- 6Ārdrā
- 7Punarvasu
- 8Puṣya
- 9Āśleṣā
- 10Maghā
- 11Pūrvaphalgunī
- 12Uttaraphalgunī
- 13Hasta
- 14Citrā
- 15Svātī
- 16Viśākhā
- 17Anurādhā
- 18Jyeṣṭhā
- 19Mūla
- 20Pūrvāṣāḍhā
- 21Uttarāṣāḍhā
- 22Śravaṇa
- 23Dhaniṣṭhā
- 24Śatabhiṣaj
- 25Pūrvabhādrapadā
- 26Uttarabhādrapadā
- 27Revatī
Indian calendar reference: Government of India, The Indian Calendar
What is the difference between a rāśi and a nakṣatra?
Both measure positions along the same zodiacal path, but they divide the circle in different ways and follow different movements in the calendar.
The zodiac is divided into twelve equal rāśis. In this guide, the Sun’s movement from one rāśi to the next marks each monthly saṅkrānti.
The Moon’s path through the star-referenced zodiac is divided into twenty-seven equal nakṣatras. The Moon’s sidereal position identifies the active nakṣatra.
Why the measuring method matters
A nakṣatra needs a stated sidereal starting point.
That starting point is defined through an ayanāṃśa. The Sky Explorer now shows the nakṣatra at sunrise using its documented Lahiri (Citrāpakṣa) approximation and the Moon’s live geocentric apparent ecliptic longitude. It withholds the name when the sampled position is too close to a section boundary.