How this Moon lookup works
The Moon’s apparent geocentric ecliptic longitude is calculated at the UTC instant represented by your local birth date, 24-hour clock time, and supplied historical UTC offset. An approximate Lahiri ayanamsha is subtracted to place the Moon in a sidereal sign. The first 13°20′ of sidereal Aries is Ashwini; the 27 equal segments continue around the zodiac to Revati. Each segment has four equal padas of 3°20′. The position table shows the Moon rashi, nakshatra, and pada under this one stated convention.
The astronomy comes from Astronomy Engine 2.1.19. Birthplace coordinates are not requested because the calculator uses a geocentric Moon. A topocentric Moon can vary with observer location.
Near a nakshatra, pada, or sign boundary, a small input-time change or a different ayanamsha can change the label. The result flags points within 0.1° of these boundaries. This is a sensitivity cue, not a guarantee that every unflagged assignment matches another ephemeris. Read the boundary guide →
Moon rashi and janma nakshatra answer different questions
The Moon rashi is one of twelve sidereal signs, each spanning 30°. A nakshatra is one of 27 equal lunar mansion segments of 13°20′ in this calculator. Most nakshatras fit partly across a sign boundary, so a Moon sign alone cannot identify the nakshatra. A pada is smaller still: each nakshatra contains four quarters of 3°20′. Read the actual longitude and time together rather than deriving a precise pada from a date-only horoscope.