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Nakshatras: the 27 lunar mansions
The Moon's nakshatra is the heart of Vedic timing. Here's how it's measured.
The ecliptic is divided into 27 nakshatras of 13°20′ each — roughly the distance the Moon travels in a day. Each is subdivided into four padas of 3°20′.
Your Janma Nakshatra is the one the Moon occupied at birth. Its ruling planet sets the first period of your Vimshottari dasha, and how far the Moon had travelled through it sets how much of that period remained.
Because the Moon moves about 13° a day, the nakshatra can change within hours — which is why we tell you when your birth-time precision makes it uncertain.
Keep reading
- What is a Janam Kundli (Vedic birth chart)?
- Sade Sati: what it is — and what it isn't
- Rahu and Ketu, the lunar nodes
- Manglik (Kuja) dosha, explained calmly
Updated 5 November 2026 · VYOMIRA by Cloudisoft