In ancient Greece, the theory of epicyclical motion was formalized. With all of that aside, retrograde motion is a bizarre visual phenomenon that puzzled ancient astronomers to no end, especially those who believed in a geocentric model of the solar system. As a result, when Mercury is retrograde, communication tends to break down which can result in some (non-physics-realated) chaos. When a planet retrogrades, astrologically it is in a resting or sleeping state, and by extension, the activities it governs do not have their planet to govern them properly. One of the most well known astrological tropes these days is ‘Mercury in retrograde.’ The terminology here is wrong, Mercury is not ‘in’ retrograde, it is just retrograde. Mercury rules all types of communication, including listening, speaking, learning, reading, editing, researching, and negotiating. Because of this, each planet has a purpose or area of life with which it corresponds. Astrology is based in the saying “As above, so too below.” This means that there is a relationship between the movements of the planets and what happens on Earth. We hope that we’ve managed to explain the nature of the retrograde motion phenomenon to you.As much as astronomers hate to be mistakenly called astrologers, a little astrological mumbo-jumbo can’t hurt. However, you now know that retrograde motion is just an illusion that can’t possibly affect your everyday life – at least from the scientific point of view. How do planets in retrograde affect us?Īstrologers may warn you against signing contracts during Mercury retrograde or buying metal tools during Mars retrograde. You can also view the planet’s location for any chosen date and time using the Time Machine feature. You will see the current position of the celestial body in the sky. Tap the magnifier icon in the lower-left corner of the screen, type the planet’s name in the search field, and tap the corresponding search result. If you’d like to follow the path of any planet in retrograde across the sky, use the stargazing app Star Walk 2. The following Solar System planets also go retrograde in 2023: The elusive planet Mercury will be moving “backwards” in the sky from April 21 to May 14, from August 23 to September 15, and from December 13 to January 1, 2024. Only in the 16th century, when Nicolaus Copernicus introduced his heliocentric model, scientists understood that retrograde motion was an illusion. However, their retrograde motion is hard to observe: when an inferior planet passes us by, it is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, so the Sun’s glare hides it from view.Īncient astronomers were rather puzzled by the retrograde motion phenomenon – especially those who thought that the Earth was at the center of the Universe. The inferior planets, Venus and Mercury, that orbit the Sun faster than the Earth, also periodically appear to move “backward”. This mechanism works for all the superior planets. The same thing happens when you pass by a slower-moving car on the highway – for a moment, it appears to move in the opposite direction. When we pass Mars, it seems to be moving “backward” because we're moving faster than it is. This superior planet moves slower in its orbit than the Earth. Retrograde motion is an optical illusion caused by differences in the planets’ orbital speed. What causes the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? This westward movement is called apparent retrograde motion. This motion shouldn’t be confused with the daily motion of the planets and the Sun in the sky which goes from east to west and is caused by the Earth’s rotation on its axis.Īt specific periods of time, a planet can start moving “backward” – from east to west. Astronomers call it direct or prograde motion. When a planet seems to reverse its direction in the sky, it’s called retrograde motion (from the Latin word retrogradus – 'going backward').ĭay to day and week to week, as the Earth revolves around the Sun, the planets in the sky typically move in the same direction as the Sun – from west to east. See Infographic What does it mean when a planet is in retrograde? Want to know what causes the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? Check out this infographic to learn how retrograde motion works.