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Every retrograde, with the exact station times
When each planet turns retrograde and turns direct — the exact minute, the degree it stations at, and how long the window lasts. Computed from the Swiss Ephemeris rather than copied from a list, so the dates are right in your timezone as well as in UTC.
Retrograde right now
Pluto
- turns retrograde
- May 6, 2026, 15:34 UTC
- turns direct
- Oct 16, 2026, 02:40 UTC
5°31′ Aquarius
Neptune
- turns retrograde
- Jul 7, 2026, 10:55 UTC
- turns direct
- Dec 12, 2026, 22:17 UTC
4°25′ Aries
Saturn
- turns retrograde
- Jul 26, 2026, 19:56 UTC
- turns direct
- Dec 10, 2026, 23:31 UTC
14°45′ Aries
Uranus
- turns retrograde
- Sep 10, 2026, 18:27 UTC
- turns direct
- Feb 8, 2027, 12:29 UTC
5°42′ Gemini
Venus
- turns retrograde
- Oct 3, 2026, 07:16 UTC
- turns direct
- Nov 14, 2026, 00:27 UTC
8°29′ Scorpio
Times are UTC. A station near midnight can fall on the previous or next day where you are.
Retrograde windows
| Planet | turns retrograde | turns direct | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pluto | May 6, 2026, 15:34 UTC5°31′ Aquarius | Oct 16, 2026, 02:40 UTC3°04′ Aquarius | 162 days |
| Mercury | Jun 29, 2026, 17:36 UTC26°15′ Cancer | Jul 23, 2026, 22:58 UTC16°19′ Cancer | 24 days |
| Neptune | Jul 7, 2026, 10:55 UTC4°25′ Aries | Dec 12, 2026, 22:17 UTC1°37′ Aries | 158 days |
| Saturn | Jul 26, 2026, 19:56 UTC14°45′ Aries | Dec 10, 2026, 23:31 UTC7°56′ Aries | 137 days |
| Uranus | Sep 10, 2026, 18:27 UTC5°42′ Gemini | Feb 8, 2027, 12:29 UTC1°41′ Gemini | 151 days |
| Venus | Oct 3, 2026, 07:16 UTC8°29′ Scorpio | Nov 14, 2026, 00:27 UTC22°52′ Libra | 42 days |
| Mercury | Oct 24, 2026, 07:13 UTC20°59′ Scorpio | Nov 13, 2026, 15:54 UTC5°02′ Scorpio | 20 days |
| Jupiter | Dec 13, 2026, 00:57 UTC27°01′ Leo | Apr 13, 2027, 02:11 UTC17°00′ Leo | 121 days |
| Mars | Jan 10, 2027, 12:59 UTC10°26′ Virgo | Apr 1, 2027, 14:08 UTC20°56′ Leo | 81 days |
| Mercury | Feb 9, 2027, 17:36 UTC5°59′ Pisces | Mar 3, 2027, 12:32 UTC20°55′ Aquarius | 22 days |
| Pluto | May 8, 2027, 12:54 UTC7°11′ Aquarius | Oct 18, 2027, 03:53 UTC4°45′ Aquarius | 163 days |
| Mercury | Jun 10, 2027, 18:15 UTC6°22′ Cancer | Jul 4, 2027, 19:39 UTC27°28′ Gemini | 24 days |
| Neptune | Jul 9, 2027, 22:41 UTC6°40′ Aries | Dec 15, 2027, 09:06 UTC3°51′ Aries | 158 days |
| Saturn | Aug 9, 2027, 18:06 UTC27°53′ Aries | Dec 24, 2027, 02:47 UTC21°01′ Aries | 136 days |
| Uranus | Sep 15, 2027, 09:09 UTC9°57′ Gemini | Feb 12, 2028, 23:49 UTC5°56′ Gemini | 151 days |
| Mercury | Oct 7, 2027, 14:37 UTC4°56′ Scorpio | Oct 28, 2027, 14:11 UTC19°19′ Libra | 21 days |
| Jupiter | Jan 12, 2028, 08:54 UTC27°31′ Virgo | still retrograde | — |
| Mercury | Jan 24, 2028, 11:02 UTC19°42′ Aquarius | Feb 14, 2028, 12:38 UTC3°59′ Aquarius | 21 days |
Stations by year
Stations in 2026
- Plutoturns retrogradeMay 6, 2026, 15:34 UTC · 5°31′ Aquarius
- Mercuryturns retrogradeJun 29, 2026, 17:36 UTC · 26°15′ Cancer
- Neptuneturns retrogradeJul 7, 2026, 10:55 UTC · 4°25′ Aries
- Mercuryturns directJul 23, 2026, 22:58 UTC · 16°19′ Cancer
- Saturnturns retrogradeJul 26, 2026, 19:56 UTC · 14°45′ Aries
- Uranusturns retrogradeSep 10, 2026, 18:27 UTC · 5°42′ Gemini
- Venusturns retrogradeOct 3, 2026, 07:16 UTC · 8°29′ Scorpio
- Plutoturns directOct 16, 2026, 02:40 UTC · 3°04′ Aquarius
- Mercuryturns retrogradeOct 24, 2026, 07:13 UTC · 20°59′ Scorpio
- Mercuryturns directNov 13, 2026, 15:54 UTC · 5°02′ Scorpio
- Venusturns directNov 14, 2026, 00:27 UTC · 22°52′ Libra
- Saturnturns directDec 10, 2026, 23:31 UTC · 7°56′ Aries
- Neptuneturns directDec 12, 2026, 22:17 UTC · 1°37′ Aries
- Jupiterturns retrogradeDec 13, 2026, 00:57 UTC · 27°01′ Leo
Stations in 2027
- Marsturns retrogradeJan 10, 2027, 12:59 UTC · 10°26′ Virgo
- Uranusturns directFeb 8, 2027, 12:29 UTC · 1°41′ Gemini
- Mercuryturns retrogradeFeb 9, 2027, 17:36 UTC · 5°59′ Pisces
- Mercuryturns directMar 3, 2027, 12:32 UTC · 20°55′ Aquarius
- Marsturns directApr 1, 2027, 14:08 UTC · 20°56′ Leo
- Jupiterturns directApr 13, 2027, 02:11 UTC · 17°00′ Leo
- Plutoturns retrogradeMay 8, 2027, 12:54 UTC · 7°11′ Aquarius
- Mercuryturns retrogradeJun 10, 2027, 18:15 UTC · 6°22′ Cancer
- Mercuryturns directJul 4, 2027, 19:39 UTC · 27°28′ Gemini
- Neptuneturns retrogradeJul 9, 2027, 22:41 UTC · 6°40′ Aries
- Saturnturns retrogradeAug 9, 2027, 18:06 UTC · 27°53′ Aries
- Uranusturns retrogradeSep 15, 2027, 09:09 UTC · 9°57′ Gemini
- Mercuryturns retrogradeOct 7, 2027, 14:37 UTC · 4°56′ Scorpio
- Plutoturns directOct 18, 2027, 03:53 UTC · 4°45′ Aquarius
- Mercuryturns directOct 28, 2027, 14:11 UTC · 19°19′ Libra
- Neptuneturns directDec 15, 2027, 09:06 UTC · 3°51′ Aries
- Saturnturns directDec 24, 2027, 02:47 UTC · 21°01′ Aries
Stations in 2028
- Jupiterturns retrogradeJan 12, 2028, 08:54 UTC · 27°31′ Virgo
- Mercuryturns retrogradeJan 24, 2028, 11:02 UTC · 19°42′ Aquarius
- Uranusturns directFeb 12, 2028, 23:49 UTC · 5°56′ Gemini
- Mercuryturns directFeb 14, 2028, 12:38 UTC · 3°59′ Aquarius
What a retrograde actually is
Nothing reverses. The view does
A planet never changes direction. Retrograde is apparent motion: Earth overtakes an outer planet, or an inner planet overtakes Earth, and for a few weeks it traces backwards against the fixed stars. The station is the moment that apparent motion crosses zero.
The station is the loud part
A planet at station is barely moving in longitude, so it sits on the same degree for days. Anything in your chart near that degree gets a long, stationary contact rather than a passing one — which is why station degrees are worth knowing and the middle of a retrograde often is not.
The shadow is the same degrees, three times
A retrograde planet crosses the same stretch of zodiac three times: forward, back, then forward again. The span between the direct station and the degree it first left is the pre- and post-retrograde shadow, and it is why the story usually starts before the retrograde does.
Retrograde questions
- Is Mercury retrograde actually bad for anything?
- There is no evidence for it, and this site will not pretend otherwise. What is true and checkable is the astronomy: the dates, the degrees and the fact that the same part of the zodiac is crossed three times. What you make of that is the interpretive part, and it belongs to you.
- Why do other sites give different dates?
- Almost always timezone. A station at 00:40 UTC is the previous evening in New York, so two calendars disagree by a day without either being wrong. The times here are UTC and stated to the minute so you can convert them yourself.
- Why are Uranus, Neptune and Pluto retrograde for so long?
- They are retrograde for roughly five months a year each, because Earth laps them quickly relative to their own orbits. That is also why an outer-planet retrograde is a poor thing to plan around — it is close to the default state.
- What is a station degree?
- The zodiacal degree a planet occupies at the moment it turns. It is listed for every station here, because that is the degree a transit will sit on for days rather than hours — the part of a retrograde most likely to land on something in your own chart.
Positions are computed with the Swiss Ephemeris. Astrology is not a science, and nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice.