Charts / Traditional reference
Nakshatra Calculator: Find Your Birth Star (Janma Nakshatra)
Find your Janma Nakshatra and pada with Lahiri sidereal positions, a 27-star reference and local Moon-change times.
Nakshatra Calculator: Find Your Birth Star (Janma Nakshatra): Finds the Moon’s Lahiri sidereal nakshatra and its pada, Vimshottari lord, traditional deity and symbol. With only a date, it uses local noon and checks the whole local day for changes, showing both possible stars and the local crossing time when needed. A noon pada is provisional. The page also lists all 27 nakshatras and updates today’s Moon nakshatra every minute in the visitor’s time zone. These are cultural reference labels without predictions. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
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- Astrology & fortune
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Enter a birth date. Time and city are optional; without a city, the browser’s time zone is used.
The 27 nakshatras
| Name | Longitude range | Lord | Deity | Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwini | 0°0′–13°20′ | Ketu | Ashvins | Horse's head |
| Bharani | 13°20′–26°40′ | Venus | Yama | Yoni |
| Krittika | 26°40′–40°0′ | Sun | Agni | Razor |
| Rohini | 40°0′–53°20′ | Moon | Prajapati | Chariot |
| Mrigashira | 53°20′–66°40′ | Mars | Soma | Deer's head |
| Ardra | 66°40′–80°0′ | Rahu | Rudra | Teardrop |
| Punarvasu | 80°0′–93°20′ | Jupiter | Aditi | Quiver |
| Pushya | 93°20′–106°40′ | Saturn | Brihaspati | Cow's udder |
| Ashlesha | 106°40′–120°0′ | Mercury | Nagas | Coiled serpent |
| Magha | 120°0′–133°20′ | Ketu | Pitrs | Throne |
| Purva Phalguni | 133°20′–146°40′ | Venus | Bhaga | Front legs of a bed |
| Uttara Phalguni | 146°40′–160°0′ | Sun | Aryaman | Back legs of a bed |
| Hasta | 160°0′–173°20′ | Moon | Savitr | Hand |
| Chitra | 173°20′–186°40′ | Mars | Tvastr | Pearl |
| Swati | 186°40′–200°0′ | Rahu | Vayu | Young shoot |
| Vishakha | 200°0′–213°20′ | Jupiter | Indra–Agni | Triumphal arch |
| Anuradha | 213°20′–226°40′ | Saturn | Mitra | Lotus |
| Jyeshtha | 226°40′–240°0′ | Mercury | Indra | Earring |
| Mula | 240°0′–253°20′ | Ketu | Nirriti | Bunch of roots |
| Purva Ashadha | 253°20′–266°40′ | Venus | Apas | Winnowing basket |
| Uttara Ashadha | 266°40′–280°0′ | Sun | Vishvadevas | Elephant tusk |
| Shravana | 280°0′–293°20′ | Moon | Vishnu | Ear |
| Dhanishta | 293°20′–306°40′ | Mars | Vasus | Drum |
| Shatabhisha | 306°40′–320°0′ | Rahu | Varuna | Empty circle |
| Purva Bhadrapada | 320°0′–333°20′ | Jupiter | Aja Ekapada | Front legs of a funeral cot |
| Uttara Bhadrapada | 333°20′–346°40′ | Saturn | Ahir Budhnya | Back legs of a funeral cot |
| Revati | 346°40′–360°0′ | Mercury | Pushan | Fish |
How your birth star is computed
The sidereal longitude is the astronomy-engine tropical geocentric apparent longitude minus the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa, wrapped into 0–360°. The Lahiri epoch is 23.8570923537° at J2000. The change with time follows the IAU 2006 general precession polynomial, using centuries of Terrestrial Time. The polynomial is checked against Swiss Ephemeris Lahiri reference values from 1900 to 2100; planetary positions are checked against independent Swiss Ephemeris tropical reference charts. Small differences near a boundary can change a label, and uncertain birth details can have a larger effect.
Astronomy Engine (https://github.com/cosinekitty/astronomy) provides the MIT-licensed astronomical calculations. The Swiss Ephemeris programmer documentation (https://www.astro.com/swisseph/swephprg.htm) describes sidereal modes; Swiss Ephemeris is used as an independent reference, not included in this tool. The IAU SOFA collection (https://www.iausofa.org/) documents the IAU precession model. These sources explain the coordinate calculations.
City names and time zones come from GeoNames (https://www.geonames.org/) under CC BY 4.0. Without a selected city, the Moon tools use the visitor’s time zone. Local date searches include daylight-saving changes; historical time-zone uncertainty can affect a result. Calculations run in the browser and do not upload birth details.
For a date-only result, the Moon is sampled over the complete local calendar day. Each boundary crossing is narrowed to less than a second and shown as a local clock time. The noon position is a reference, not a substitute for a recorded birth time. A Moon position close to a boundary is sensitive to time and calculation uncertainty.
The 27-nakshatra reference
The 27 nakshatras divide the sidereal ecliptic into equal arcs of 13°20′, beginning with Ashwini at 0° Mesha and ending with Revati at 360°. Each nakshatra has four padas of 3°20′. Boundary points belong to the following nakshatra or pada. Names refer to traditional lunar mansions, not modern constellation boundaries.
The reference table lists names, traditional deities, symbols and Vimshottari lords. The lord sequence is Ketu, Venus, Sun, Moon, Mars, Rahu, Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury, repeated three times. Deities and symbols are longstanding cultural associations; variants exist across traditions. The public-domain Sanskrit Vedanga Jyotisha and Taittiriya Brahmana preserve early lunar-mansion traditions; the modern equal-arc system is the convention used here. The Positional Astronomy Centre of the India Meteorological Department (https://mausam.imd.gov.in/imd_latest/contents/positional.php) publishes the Rashtriya Panchang and traditional calendar information.
How to use it
- Enter a birth date and optionally add a time and city.
- Calculate the birth star; if the Moon changes nakshatra that day, enter the birth time.
- Read the pada, lord, deity and symbol, explore the reference table and save a card.
Privacy & limitations
Your birth date, time, place and results stay in your browser. The share image contains chart labels and never includes your birth details.
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Frequently asked questions
How does Lahiri ayanamsa affect my birth star?
The Moon’s tropical longitude is shifted by the Lahiri ayanamsa before it is placed in one of 27 equal sidereal nakshatras. The offset changes slowly with precession. A Western tropical Moon sign is a different division of the sky.
Can I find my nakshatra without a birth time?
Enter the date and choose a city or time zone. The result uses local noon and checks for a nakshatra change anywhere in that local day. If there is a change, both stars and the crossing time are shown. Even on a day with one star, the pada can change, so add the recorded time to confirm it.
Does a North or South Indian chart change my nakshatra?
No. The two chart styles arrange houses and signs differently, but use the same longitudes. The kundli tool draws both styles; this calculator shows the Moon’s nakshatra directly.
What does the nakshatra lord mean for dashas?
The lord starts the Vimshottari sequence, a traditional timing system. The Moon’s remaining arc determines the first period’s balance. The kundli page shows dates only, using 365.25-day years, without saying what a period brings.
Is my birth information private?
The calculations and share card are made in your browser. Nothing about your birth is uploaded. A share image contains only star labels and uncertainty notices, never your birth date, time or place.
Is a nakshatra a scientific personality test?
No. The lunar position is an astronomical calculation, but the deity, symbol and other associations are cultural traditions. They do not measure character or predict events. Naming syllables vary across traditions and are not included here.
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