Planetary Retrograde
Calendar 2026
Which planets are retrograde at this moment, when each one stations next, and every retrograde of 2026 in one table, for all eight planets from Mercury to Pluto. Station times are exact to the minute.
Which Planets Are Retrograde Now
| Planet | Now | Last station (UTC) | Next station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Retrograde | Retrograde 21.0° Scorpio | Direct 5.0° Scorpio |
| Venus | Retrograde | Retrograde 8.5° Scorpio | Direct 22.9° Libra |
| Mars | Direct, pre-shadow | Direct 17.0° Cancer | Retrograde 10.4° Virgo |
| Jupiter | Direct, pre-shadow | Direct 15.1° Cancer | Retrograde 27.0° Leo |
| Saturn | Retrograde | Retrograde 14.7° Aries | Direct 7.9° Aries |
| Uranus | Retrograde | Retrograde 5.7° Gemini | Direct 1.7° Gemini |
| Neptune | Retrograde | Retrograde 4.4° Aries | Direct 1.6° Aries |
| Pluto | Direct | Direct 3.1° Aquarius | Retrograde 7.2° Aquarius |
Every Retrograde of 2026, Mercury to Pluto
Eleven retrogrades touch 2026: three of Mercury, one of Venus, two of Jupiter, one of Saturn, two of Uranus, one of Neptune and one of Pluto. Some began the year before or run on into the next; both stations are listed either way. The five planets with their own calendars link to them for shadow dates and more.
| Planet | Stations retrograde (UTC) | Stations direct | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uranus | 1.5° Gemini | 27.5° Taurus | 150 |
| Jupiter | 25.2° Cancer | 15.1° Cancer | 119 |
| Mercury | 22.6° Pisces | 8.5° Pisces | 22 |
| Pluto | 5.5° Aquarius | 3.1° Aquarius | 162 |
| Mercury | 26.3° Cancer | 16.3° Cancer | 24 |
| Neptune | 4.4° Aries | 1.6° Aries | 158 |
| Saturn | 14.7° Aries | 7.9° Aries | 137 |
| Uranus | 5.7° Gemini | 1.7° Gemini | 150 |
| Venus | 8.5° Scorpio | 22.9° Libra | 41 |
| Mercury | 21.0° Scorpio | 5.0° Scorpio | 20 |
| Jupiter | 27.0° Leo | 17.0° Leo | 121 |
2026 on One Line per Planet
The busiest stretch of 2026 has five planets retrograde at once: October 3, 2026 to October 16, 2026 (Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) and October 24, 2026 to November 13, 2026 (Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune). The chart shows the five planets with calendar pages; pale bars are the shadow on each side.
Why a Planet Seems to Back Up
Every planet travels around the Sun in the same direction, all the time. Retrograde motion is what that steady travel looks like from a moving Earth. When the Earth passes a slower outer planet, or a faster inner planet passes the Earth, the line of sight between the two swings backward against the distant stars for weeks or months, the way a slower train seems to drift backward as yours pulls past it.
The geometry fixes the timing. Mercury and Venus turn retrograde around inferior conjunction, when they come between us and the Sun, so part of every one of their retrogrades is spent in the Sun's glare. Mars and everything beyond turn retrograde around opposition, when the Earth comes between them and the Sun, so they are retrograde in the months when they are up all night and at their brightest.
The two stations bracket each retrograde: the planet slows for days, stops, and reverses. Astrologers treat those turning points as the sharpest moments of the cycle. The shadow pads the retrograde on both sides. It opens on the day the planet first touches its future direct-station degree and closes once it has moved past its retrograde-station degree for the last time, so that whole stretch of the zodiac gets crossed three times.
Looking Ahead to 2027
Eight retrogrades begin in 2027. The first is Mars's, on January 10, 2027, at 12:59 UTC.
- ♂ Mars to Virgo → Leo
- ☿ Mercury to Pisces → Aquarius
- ♇ Pluto to Aquarius
- ☿ Mercury to Cancer → Gemini
- ♆ Neptune to Aries
- ♄ Saturn to Aries
- ♅ Uranus to Gemini
- ☿ Mercury to Scorpio → Libra
Retrograde Calendar FAQ
Which planets are retrograde right now?▼
What is the next planetary station?▼
How many planets are retrograde at the same time in 2026?▼
Which planet spends the most time retrograde?▼
Do Uranus, Neptune and Pluto go retrograde?▼
Why do the Sun and Moon never go retrograde?▼
Stations are found by searching the site's ephemeris for the moment each planet's speed in longitude reaches zero; the shadow and data conventions are on the About page.
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