Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Boötes. With an apparent visual magnitude of −0.05, it is the fourth-brightest star in the night sky, and the brightest in the northern celestial hemisphere. The name Arcturus originated from ancient Greece; it was then cataloged as α Boötis by Johann Bayer in 1603, which is Latinized to Alpha Boötis. Arcturus forms one corner of the Spring Triangle asterism.
Chandra, also known as Soma, is the Hindu god of the Moon, and is associated with the night, plants and vegetation. He is one of the Navagraha and Dikpala.
Ashlesha, also known as Ayilyam in Tamil and Malayalam, is the 9th of the 27 nakshatras in Hindu astrology. Ashlesha is also known as the Clinging Star or Nāga. It is known as the Hydra. It extends from 16:40 to 30:00 Cancer .
A panchāngam is a Hindu calendar and almanac, which follows traditional units of Hindu timekeeping, and presents important dates and their calculations in a tabulated form. It is sometimes spelled Panchāngamu, Pancanga, Panchanga, Panchaanga, or Panchānga, and is often pronounced Panchāng. Panchangas are used in Jyotisha.
Mangala is the personification, as well as the name for the planet Mars, in Hindu literature. Also known as Lohita, he is the deity of anger, aggression, as well as war. According to Vaishnavism, he is the son of Bhumi, the earth goddess, and Vishnu, born when the latter raised her from the depths of the primordial waters in his Varaha avatar. According to Shaivism, once when Shiva was engrossed in meditation on Mount Kailash, three drops of perspiration from his forehead fell on Earth. From those drops was born a beautiful infant with a reddish complexion and four arms. Shiva handed the child to Mother Earth for upbringing. Brought up by Bhumi, the child was named Bhauma.
Nakshatra is the term for Lunar mansion in Hindu astrology and Buddhist astrology. A nakshatra is one of 27 sectors along the ecliptic. Their names are related to a prominent star or asterisms in or near the respective sectors. In essence, a nakshatra simply is a constellation. Every nakshatra is divided into four padas related to the Char Dham, a set of four pilgrimage sites in India.
Shravana, also known as Thiruvonam in Tamil and Malayalam, is the 22nd nakshatra or lunar mansion as used in Hindu astronomy, Hindu calendar and Hindu astrology. It belongs to the constellation Makara, a legendary sea creature resembling a crocodile] or Capricorn. The name alludes to Shravan, a mythological character who attained repute due to his utmost devotion to his aged and blind parents.
The star cluster Kṛttikā Sanskrit: कृत्तिका, pronounced, popularly transliterated Krittika), sometimes known as Kārtikā, corresponds to the open star cluster called Pleiades in western astronomy; it is one of the clusters which makes up the constellation Taurus. In Indian astronomy and Jyotiṣa the name literally translates to "the cutters". It is also the name of its goddess-personification, who is a daughter of Daksha and Panchajani, and thus a half-sister to Khyati. Spouse of Kṛttikā is Chandra ("moon"). The six Krittikas who raised the Hindu God Kartikeya are Śiva, Sambhūti, Prīti, Sannati, Anasūya and Kṣamā.
Mūla is the 19th nakshatra or 'lunar mansion' in Jyotisha and corresponds to the stars: λ Sco, υ Sco, ε Sco, μ1 Sco, θ Sco, κ Sco, ι1 Sco, and ζ1 Sco. The symbol of Mula is a bunch of roots tied together or an 'elephant goad' (ankusha) and the Deity associated with it is Niriti, the god of dissolution and destruction. The Lord of Mula is Ketu.
Punarvasu is a Nakshatra in Hindu astrology, which refers to the two brightest stars in the constellation of Gemini: Castor and Pollux.
The navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu astrology. The term is derived from nava and graha. The nine parts of the navagraha are the Sun, Moon, planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and the two nodes of the Moon.
Mṛgaśiraṣa is the 5th nakṣatra or lunar mansion as used in Hindu astronomy and astrology in the constellation Orion. Its position is described in the Surya Siddhānta.
Jyeshtha is the 18th nakshatra or lunar mansion in Hindu astronomy and Vedic astrology associated with the string of the constellation Scorpii, and the stars ε, ζ1 Sco, η, θ, ι1 Sco, κ, λ, μ and ν Scorpionis.
Revati is the Hindu name for Zeta Piscium, a star on the edge of the Pisces zodiac constellation. In Hindu sidereal astronomy this star is identified as the First Point of Aries, i.e. when the Sun crosses this star, a new solar year begins. Revathi is the last star in the Pisces constellation, which is the last zodiac sign. Ashwini is the first star in Aries constellation, which is the first zodiacal sign.
Budha is the Sanskrit word for the planet Mercury, personified as a god.
In Hinduism, Adityas refers to a group of major solar deities, who are the offspring of the goddess Aditi. The name Aditya, in the singular, is taken to refer to the sun god Surya. Generally, Adityas are twelve in number and consist of Vivasvan (Surya), Aryaman, Tvashtr, Savitr, Bhaga, Dhatr, Mitra, Varuna, Amsha, Pushan, Indra and Vishnu.
Dhanishtha, also known as Avittam in Tamil and Malayalam, is the twenty-third nakshatra in Hindu astronomy, corresponding to α to δ Delphini. In Jyotiṣa, Dhanishta is ruled by Mangala . Dhanishta is classified as a movable nakshatra, meaning that, under electional astrological beliefs, it is best to begin activities like travel when the moon is in Dhanishta. This is based on the Panchanga reading only.
Abhijita is a unique nakshatra and the 28nd nakshatra in the Indian system of 28 nakshatras, out of which 27 are traditional nakshatras and this 1 is an intercalary nakshatra. It is a division in the constellation Capricornus, spanning from the fourth pada of Uttara Ashadha to the first pada of Shravana. Abhijita is the Sanskrit name for Vega, the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. The name Abhijita means "the victorious one" in Sanskrit.
Uttara Ashadha, also known as Uthiradam/Uthradam in Tamil and Malayalam, is the twenty-first of the 27 Nakshatra (constellations) in Hindu astrology. It is situated on the lower part of Lyra and spans from 26°40" in Sagittarius to 10°00" in Capricorn in the sidereal Vedic zodiac.
Pancha Pakshi Shastra is a system of divination historically popular among Hindu astrologers of southern India.
