Nakshatra Calculator
Your birth star (janma nakshatra), pada and name letters from your date and time of birth.
Find your birth star.
Enter your date, time and place's time zone of birth.
How to use this tool
Enter your date and time of birth and the time zone of the place you were born (India is IST).
Good to know
Results use the Moon's sidereal position with Lahiri ayanamsa — the same basis as most Indian panchangs.
Step by step
- Enter your date of birth.
- Enter your time of birth as on your birth certificate (24-hour clock).
- Choose the time zone of your birth place — IST for India.
- Tap Find my nakshatra to see nakshatra, pada, rashi, name letters and dasha periods.
How the calculation works
Your nakshatra and rashi come from where the Moon was in the sky when you were born. The calculator converts your birth date, time and time zone to Universal Time, works out the Moon's position with the standard lunar theory used by astronomers (Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms), and subtracts the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa — the official ayanamsa of the Indian national calendar — to get the sidereal (Vedic) longitude.
- The zodiac's 360° is split into 12 rashis of 30° each.
- It is also split into 27 nakshatras of 13°20′, and each nakshatra into 4 padas (charans) of 3°20′.
- The nakshatra decides your Vimshottari dasha sequence and the starting letters for a name (naam akshar).
Why birth time matters: the Moon moves about 13° a day — roughly half a degree an hour. If your Moon is close to a boundary, a difference of an hour or two can change the pada, and occasionally the nakshatra or rashi. Use the time on your birth certificate if you have it.
The 27 nakshatras
| # | Nakshatra | Sidereal span | Lord (dasha) | Rashi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashwini | 0°00′ – 13°20′ Aries | Ketu | Mesha |
| 2 | Bharani | 13°20′ – 26°40′ Aries | Venus | Mesha |
| 3 | Krittika | 26°40′ Aries – 10°00′ Taurus | Sun | Mesha / Vrishabha |
| 4 | Rohini | 10°00′ – 23°20′ Taurus | Moon | Vrishabha |
| 5 | Mrigashira | 23°20′ Taurus – 6°40′ Gemini | Mars | Vrishabha / Mithuna |
| 6 | Ardra | 6°40′ – 20°00′ Gemini | Rahu | Mithuna |
| 7 | Punarvasu | 20°00′ Gemini – 3°20′ Cancer | Jupiter | Mithuna / Karka |
| 8 | Pushya | 3°20′ – 16°40′ Cancer | Saturn | Karka |
| 9 | Ashlesha | 16°40′ – 30°00′ Cancer | Mercury | Karka |
| 10 | Magha | 0°00′ – 13°20′ Leo | Ketu | Simha |
| 11 | Purva Phalguni | 13°20′ – 26°40′ Leo | Venus | Simha |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni | 26°40′ Leo – 10°00′ Virgo | Sun | Simha / Kanya |
| 13 | Hasta | 10°00′ – 23°20′ Virgo | Moon | Kanya |
| 14 | Chitra | 23°20′ Virgo – 6°40′ Libra | Mars | Kanya / Tula |
| 15 | Swati | 6°40′ – 20°00′ Libra | Rahu | Tula |
| 16 | Vishakha | 20°00′ Libra – 3°20′ Scorpio | Jupiter | Tula / Vrishchika |
| 17 | Anuradha | 3°20′ – 16°40′ Scorpio | Saturn | Vrishchika |
| 18 | Jyeshtha | 16°40′ – 30°00′ Scorpio | Mercury | Vrishchika |
| 19 | Mula | 0°00′ – 13°20′ Sagittarius | Ketu | Dhanu |
| 20 | Purva Ashadha | 13°20′ – 26°40′ Sagittarius | Venus | Dhanu |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha | 26°40′ Sagittarius – 10°00′ Capricorn | Sun | Dhanu / Makara |
| 22 | Shravana | 10°00′ – 23°20′ Capricorn | Moon | Makara |
| 23 | Dhanishta | 23°20′ Capricorn – 6°40′ Aquarius | Mars | Makara / Kumbha |
| 24 | Shatabhisha | 6°40′ – 20°00′ Aquarius | Rahu | Kumbha |
| 25 | Purva Bhadrapada | 20°00′ Aquarius – 3°20′ Pisces | Jupiter | Kumbha / Meena |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada | 3°20′ – 16°40′ Pisces | Saturn | Meena |
| 27 | Revati | 16°40′ – 30°00′ Pisces | Mercury | Meena |
Naam akshar: name letters by nakshatra pada
Many families choose a baby's name starting with the syllable of the birth nakshatra's pada. For example, Rohini pada 2 gives “Va” (वा). The calculator shows your syllable with the result; the full list is: Ashwini — Chu, Che, Cho, La; Bharani — Li, Lu, Le, Lo; Krittika — A, I, U, E; Rohini — O, Va, Vi, Vu; Mrigashira — Ve, Vo, Ka, Ki; Ardra — Ku, Gha, Ng, Chha; Punarvasu — Ke, Ko, Ha, Hi; Pushya — Hu, He, Ho, Da; Ashlesha — Di, Du, De, Do; Magha — Ma, Mi, Mu, Me; Purva Phalguni — Mo, Ta, Ti, Tu; Uttara Phalguni — Te, To, Pa, Pi; Hasta — Pu, Sha, Na, Tha; Chitra — Pe, Po, Ra, Ri; Swati — Ru, Re, Ro, Ta; Vishakha — Ti, Tu, Te, To; Anuradha — Na, Ni, Nu, Ne; Jyeshtha — No, Ya, Yi, Yu; Mula — Ye, Yo, Bha, Bhi; Purva Ashadha — Bhu, Dha, Pha, Dha; Uttara Ashadha — Bhe, Bho, Ja, Ji; Shravana — Khi, Khu, Khe, Kho; Dhanishta — Ga, Gi, Gu, Ge; Shatabhisha — Go, Sa, Si, Su; Purva Bhadrapada — Se, So, Da, Di; Uttara Bhadrapada — Du, Tha, Jha, Na; Revati — De, Do, Cha, Chi.
Next: see your Moon sign (rashi), your Vimshottari dasha periods, or your Mulank.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my nakshatra by date of birth?
Enter your date, time and birth time zone above. The tool finds where the Moon was in the sidereal zodiac at that moment and tells you which of the 27 nakshatras (and which pada) it was in.
Which ayanamsa does this use?
Lahiri (Chitrapaksha), the standard used by the Indian Ephemeris and most Indian panchangs. KP or Raman ayanamsa can give slightly different degrees.
I don't know my exact birth time. What should I do?
Enter your best estimate. The rashi rarely changes within a few hours, but the pada and dasha dates are sensitive to time. If the Moon is near a boundary the result will say so through its degree — check with an astrologer if needed.
Is my data saved?
No. The calculation runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.
What is a nakshatra pada?
Each nakshatra is divided into 4 quarters called padas (charans) of 3°20′. The pada is used for name letters and in matching charts.