The Rashtriya Panchang defines a nakshatra as one of twenty-seven 13°20′ divisions of the nirayana (sidereal) zodiac. Twenty-seven such intervals fill 360°. Its name list begins with Asvini and ends with Revati. The ranges below count from 0° of a chosen sidereal zodiac; they are ecliptic sectors, not the irregular borders of visual constellations.
All 27 nakshatras
Spellings follow the Positional Astronomy Centre’s romanized name table. Other books may use diacritics or alternative transliterations such as Ashvini, Shravana, or Shatabhisha. The numbering and 13°20′ sectors remain explicit here so a reader can compare an ephemeris result.
| No. | Nakshatra | Sidereal longitude |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Asvini | 0°00′–13°20′ |
| 02 | Bharani | 13°20′–26°40′ |
| 03 | Krittika | 26°40′–40°00′ |
| 04 | Rohini | 40°00′–53°20′ |
| 05 | Mrigasiras | 53°20′–66°40′ |
| 06 | Ardra | 66°40′–80°00′ |
| 07 | Punarvasu | 80°00′–93°20′ |
| 08 | Pushya | 93°20′–106°40′ |
| 09 | Aslesha | 106°40′–120°00′ |
| 10 | Magha | 120°00′–133°20′ |
| 11 | Purva Phalguni | 133°20′–146°40′ |
| 12 | Uttara Phalguni | 146°40′–160°00′ |
| 13 | Hasta | 160°00′–173°20′ |
| 14 | Chitra | 173°20′–186°40′ |
| 15 | Svati | 186°40′–200°00′ |
| 16 | Visakha | 200°00′–213°20′ |
| 17 | Anuradha | 213°20′–226°40′ |
| 18 | Jyeshtha | 226°40′–240°00′ |
| 19 | Mula | 240°00′–253°20′ |
| 20 | Purva Ashadha | 253°20′–266°40′ |
| 21 | Uttara Ashadha | 266°40′–280°00′ |
| 22 | Sravana | 280°00′–293°20′ |
| 23 | Dhanishta | 293°20′–306°40′ |
| 24 | Satabhisaj | 306°40′–320°00′ |
| 25 | Purva Bhadrapada | 320°00′–333°20′ |
| 26 | Uttara Bhadrapada | 333°20′–346°40′ |
| 27 | Revati | 346°40′–360°00′ |
How a Moon position becomes a nakshatra
Calculate the Moon’s ecliptic longitude at the selected instant, convert it to the named sidereal frame, then locate the 13°20′ interval containing that longitude. At the exact boundary, one interval ends and the next begins. In a panchanga, the printed time beside a nakshatra is its ending moment. The publication uses a variable ayanamsa for these calculations.
For example, a Moon longitude of 40° in the chosen sidereal frame is in Rohini’s 40°–53°20′ sector. That statement alone does not supply a birth interpretation or a dated transition time; it is a coordinate lookup. If a different ayanamsa moves the longitude across 40°, the boundary label changes. See why ayanamsa matters.
Three distinctions worth keeping
Sector versus star
A named sector spans 13°20′ along the ecliptic. A named star has its own celestial coordinates and can sit above or below that line.
Birth Moon versus daily Moon
A natal Moon nakshatra refers to one birth instant. A daily panchanga reports the current interval and its ending time.
One list, multiple spellings
Transliteration changes how a name is printed, but a source should still say which name order and coordinate origin it uses.
The Vedic birth chart and daily panchanga are separate tools because one answers a natal question and the other a calendrical one.
Frequently asked questions
Are there 27 or 28 nakshatras?
This page follows the twenty-seven equal divisions specified by the Rashtriya Panchang. Historical lists can discuss an additional Abhijit; that is a different scheme and should not be silently inserted into this equal 27-sector table.
Is a nakshatra the same as a rāśi?
No. The rāśi circle has twelve equal 30° signs. The nakshatra circle has twenty-seven equal 13°20′ divisions. They overlap because both partition the ecliptic.
Explore the nakshatra reference
Asvini and Svati in the almanac list may appear as Ashwini and Swati in the birth-chart tools. The transliteration changes the spelling, not the 13°20′ sector boundaries.
Primary references
- Positional Astronomy Centre, Panchang explanation ↗ — 27 divisions and ayanamsa convention
- Positional Astronomy Centre, name table ↗ — nakshatra order and spellings
