Rahu Kaal Today — Herndon
Thursday, 2026-08-20 · Herndon, Virginia · UTC−4
Rahu Kaal today
14:54 – 16:35
101 minutes · one-eighth of today's 06:29–19:57 day
Note the length: 101 minutes, not a flat 90. Rahu Kaal is an eighth of the real solar day, so it changes with the season and with where you are. This is computed for Herndon's own coordinates with the Swiss Ephemeris.
The four windows people confuse
Three inauspicious, one auspicious. All four are eighths of today's solar arc in Herndon.
Rahu Kaal
Rahu
14:54 – 16:35
The window to avoid beginning anything new — travel, signing, buying, a first meeting.
Yamaganda
Ketu
06:29 – 08:10
Also avoided for new beginnings, and routinely mistaken for Rahu Kaal.
Gulika Kaal
Saturn
09:51 – 11:32
Saturn's eighth. Traditionally avoided, though held to be the mildest of the three.
Abhijit Muhurat
Brahma
12:46 – 13:40
The opposite: the midday window held to be auspicious for almost anything.
Rahu Kaal by weekday in Herndon
The eighth Rahu occupies is set by the weekday, so the window moves by hours across the week. These are this week's actual values for Herndon.
| Day | Rahu Kaal | Length | Sunrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 18:21 – 20:03 | 102 min | 06:26 |
| Monday | 08:08 – 09:50 | 102 min | 06:26 |
| Tuesday | 16:37 – 18:19 | 102 min | 06:27 |
| Wednesday | 13:14 – 14:55 | 101 min | 06:28 |
| Thursday · today | 14:54 – 16:35 | 101 min | 06:29 |
| Friday | 11:32 – 13:13 | 101 min | 06:30 |
| Saturday | 09:52 – 11:32 | 100 min | 06:31 |
Why Herndon needs its own figure
Across the year
In Herndon, Rahu Kaal is shortest around the December solstice at 70 minutes and longest around the June solstice at 112 minutes — a spread of 42 minutes, driven entirely by this city's latitude. A table printing a flat 90 is wrong at both ends of the year.
Against the nearest city
Ashburn is 12 km away, and today its Rahu Kaal runs 14:55–16:36 against Herndon's 14:54–16:35. Sunrise differs, so the eighth differs. That gap is the reason this page is computed for Herndon rather than for the region.
Frequently asked
What is the Rahu Kaal time today in Herndon?
Today, Thursday, Rahu Kaal in Herndon, Virginia runs 14:54 to 16:35 — 101 minutes. It is computed from today's sunrise (06:29) and sunset (19:57) for this city, so it is not the same as the figure published for a neighbouring metro.
Is Rahu Kaal always 90 minutes?
No. It is one-eighth of the interval between sunrise and sunset, so it is only 90 minutes when the day is exactly twelve hours long. In Herndon today it is 101 minutes. Tables that print a fixed 1.5 hours for every city and every date are approximating.
Does Rahu Kaal fall at the same time every day?
No — the eighth it occupies is set by the weekday, so it moves substantially. That is also why a table memorised for one day is misleading on the next.
What if I have to start something during Rahu Kaal?
Ongoing work is not affected — the caution is about beginnings. If you can move it, the next auspicious choghadiya in Herndon today is Shubh, 06:29–08:10.
Rahu Kaal in other cities
Rahu Kaal is the same for all of Herndon. Your timing is not.
This window comes from the Sun and the weekday, so the whole city shares it. Whether a period is actually good for you depends on your running dasha and the transits over your own chart.