Rahu Ketu transit 2026
Rahu and Ketu’s sign and nakshatra changes in 2026 by the mean node and the true node, with exact dates and times in the sidereal zodiac (Lahiri).
Rahu enters Capricorn, Ketu enters Cancer
Every change in 2026, both nodes
Times in Asia/Kolkata. Sidereal zodiac, Lahiri ayanamsa.
| Change | Mean node | True node | True node is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ketu enters Magha | 22 days later | ||
| Rahu enters Dhanishta | 32 days earlier | ||
| Rahu enters Capricorn | 10 days earlier | ||
| Ketu enters Cancer | 10 days earlier | ||
| Ketu enters Ashlesha | 10 days earlier |
Mean node
Moves backwards through the zodiac at a steady rate. The Surya Siddhanta counts the Moon’s node this way. Surya Siddhanta 1.33
True node
The point where the Moon’s orbit actually crosses the ecliptic. It swings back and forth around the mean node, so its sign changes can come weeks earlier or later.
Questions
Mean and true node dates, both computed with the Swiss Ephemeris.
When does Rahu enter Capricorn in 2026?
By the mean node, on 5 December 2026 at 22:32 IST. By the true node, on 25 November 2026 at 17:46 IST. Ketu changes sign at the same moments, into the opposite sign.
Which is right, the mean node or the true node?
Both are computed from the same ephemeris. The Surya Siddhanta gives the Moon’s node a mean motion only, so this page lists the mean node first; the true node, the Moon’s actual crossing point, is shown beside it. Charts on this site use the true node unless you choose otherwise. Surya Siddhanta 1.33
Why are Rahu and Ketu always opposite each other?
They are the two points where the Moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic, the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, so they always lie 180° apart.
Why do Rahu and Ketu move backwards?
The Moon’s orbit turns slowly in the opposite direction to the Moon’s own motion, so the crossing points move backwards through the zodiac, about one sign every year and a half.
How the positions are found
Read the methodology- Positions
- Geocentric, in the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa, from the Swiss Ephemeris (NASA JPL’s DE441).
- Rahu and Ketu
- Sign changes give the mean node first, as the Surya Siddhanta does (1.33), with the true node beside it.
- Western positions
- The tropical zodiac runs about 24° ahead of the sidereal one, so Western sign dates fall earlier.
- Time zones
- Times are in India time by default. Switch to any other zone at the top of the page.
Lahiri ayanamsa · geocentric · times to the minute · Swiss Ephemeris · Method