Retrograde planets
When Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn turn retrograde and direct in 2026 and 2027, and which are retrograde right now.
Right now
Saturday, 17 October 2026- Mercury Direct Retrograde 582 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde 457 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde 342 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde 234 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde 110 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 6 days Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 115 days Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 236 days Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 355 days Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 464 days Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 582 days Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 703 days Retrograde Direct Direct No retrograde in the data
- Venus Direct Retrograde 595 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde 15 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 571 days Retrograde Direct Direct No retrograde in the data
- Mars Direct Retrograde in 85 days Retrograde Direct Direct No retrograde in the data
- Jupiter Direct Retrograde 340 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 56 days Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 452 days Retrograde Direct Direct No retrograde in the data
- Saturn Direct Retrograde 462 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde 83 days ago Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 296 days Retrograde Direct Direct Retrograde in 675 days Retrograde Direct after 2028 Direct No retrograde in the data
Every retrograde in 2026 and 2027
Times in UTC. Same dates in Vedic and Western astrology.
| Planet | Turns retrograde | Turns direct | Days | Vedic signs | Western signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jupiter | 119 | Cancer → Gemini | Cancer | ||
| Mercury | 23 | Aquarius | Pisces | ||
| Mercury | 24 | Cancer → Gemini | Cancer | ||
| Saturn | 137 | Pisces | Aries | ||
| Venus | 42 | Libra → Virgo | Scorpio → Libra | ||
| Mercury | 20 | Libra | Scorpio | ||
| Jupiter | 121 | Leo → Cancer | Leo | ||
| Mars | 81 | Leo → Cancer | Virgo → Leo | ||
| Mercury | 22 | Aquarius → Capricorn | Pisces → Aquarius | ||
| Mercury | 24 | Gemini | Cancer → Gemini | ||
| Saturn | 136 | Aries → Pisces | Aries | ||
| Mercury | 21 | Libra → Virgo | Scorpio → Libra |
Rahu and Ketu, the Moon’s nodes, move backwards through the zodiac all the time by their mean motion, so they have no stations to list. Surya Siddhanta 1.33
Questions
Dates are computed with the Swiss Ephemeris.
What does retrograde mean?
A planet is retrograde when, seen from the Earth, it seems to move backwards through the zodiac for a while. It is an effect of the Earth’s own motion. Mercury and Venus turn retrograde around the time they pass between the Earth and the Sun; Mars, Jupiter and Saturn around the time the Earth passes between them and the Sun. The moments a planet stops and turns are called stations.
How long do retrogrades last?
Mercury: 20 to 24 days; Venus: 42 to 43 days; Mars: about two and a half months (81 days); Jupiter: about four months (121 to 123 days); Saturn: about four and a half months (136 to 137 days), in 2026 to 2028.
Are retrograde dates the same in Vedic and Western astrology?
Yes. A retrograde is an astronomical event, so its dates and times are the same in both. Only the sign names can differ, because the Vedic zodiac is sidereal and the Western zodiac is tropical; the two are about 24° apart.
Why are Rahu and Ketu not listed?
Rahu and Ketu, the Moon’s nodes, move backwards through the zodiac all the time by their mean motion, so they have no stations to list. The Surya Siddhanta gives the Moon’s node its revolutions “in the contrary direction”. Surya Siddhanta 1.33
How the dates are found
Read the methodology- Stations
- The moments each planet’s geocentric longitude stops and turns, from the Swiss Ephemeris (NASA JPL’s DE441).
- Signs
- Vedic signs in the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri ayanamsa; Western signs in the tropical zodiac.
- Time zones
- Times show in your own time zone; choose another at the top of the page.
- Nodes
- Rahu and Ketu always move backwards by their mean motion (Surya Siddhanta 1.33), so they have no stations.
Swiss Ephemeris · sidereal (Lahiri) and tropical signs · your time zone · Swiss Ephemeris · Method