Indian Astronomy
Ancient names, real stars - find them tonight
Every festival has a sky connection. The 27 lunar mansions mapped to real stars you can see. Every number on this platform is computed from JPL planetary ephemerides and is valid orbital mechanics. This is astronomy, not your horoscope.
Today →
Festivals →
Your sky right now
Panchanga
Today's tithi, nakshatra, yoga, and karana - computed astronomically.
Festival Astronomy
Diwali is always new moon. Holi is always full moon. See the sky behind every festival.
Nakshatra Guide
All 27 nakshatras mapped to real stars you can see.
Rasi
The 12 sidereal zodiac signs. See which rasi each planet is transiting right now.
Navagraha
The nine that seize. Live positions of all 9 grahas including Rahu and Ketu.
Indian Star Lore
Dhruva, Saptarishi, Arundhati, Agastya - ancient names for stars you can find tonight.
Discover Stories
A guided walk through the lore and the science of the Indian sky. Choose your path, get bite-sized stories.
About
What is a nakshatra?
A nakshatra is a lunar mansion - one of 27 equal segments of the Moon's monthly path along the ecliptic.
How many nakshatras are there?
27 nakshatras, each 13 degrees 20 minutes wide, dividing the Moon's monthly path through the sky.
What is a rasi?
A rasi is a 30-degree segment of the sidereal zodiac. There are 12 rasis, based on the actual positions of zodiac constellations.
What is the difference between sidereal and tropical zodiac?
The sidereal zodiac tracks the actual stars. The tropical zodiac tracks the seasons. The two currently differ by about 24 degrees due to precession.
What are the navagraha?
The nine celestial movers of Indian astronomy: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu.
What are Rahu and Ketu?
The two lunar nodes - where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic. These nodes predict when eclipses can occur.
Why do Indian festivals fall on different Gregorian dates each year?
Most Indian festivals follow the Moon. A lunar month is 29.5 days, so the Gregorian calendar date shifts by about 11 days each year.
What is Dhruva Tara?
Dhruva is the Indian name for the pole star, which today is Polaris. Earth's axis points near it, so it appears almost fixed in the sky.
What is Panchanga?
The five limbs of the Indian calendar - Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana, and Vara - computed from real Sun and Moon positions.
Is Panchanga astrology?
No. Panchanga is astronomical bookkeeping - real planetary positions used to structure time. Orbit uses no astrology.