Retrogrades in 2026
In 2026 the planets turn retrograde 11 times, the first on 6 September and the last on 13 December.
A planet is retrograde when it looks like it is moving backwards through the zodiac from Earth. It is not really going backwards. Earth is overtaking it, or being overtaken. The table gives the exact moment each planet stops and turns, in Universal Time.
| Planet | Turns retrograde | Position | Turns direct | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uranus | (continues from 2025) | 1°28' Gemini | 27°28' Taurus | 151 |
| Jupiter | (continues from 2025) | 25°09' Cancer | 15°05' | 119 |
| Mercury | 22°34' Pisces | 8°29' | 23 | |
| Pluto | 5°31' Aquarius | 3°04' | 162 | |
| Mercury | 26°16' Cancer | 16°19' | 24 | |
| Neptune | 4°25' Aries | 1°37' | 158 | |
| Saturn | 14°45' Aries | 7°56' | 137 | |
| Uranus | 5°42' Gemini | (ends in 2027)1°41' | 151 | |
| Venus | 8°29' Scorpio | 22°52' Libra | 42 | |
| Mercury | 20°59' Scorpio | 5°02' | 20 | |
| Jupiter | 27°01' Leo | (ends in 2027)17°00' | 121 |
Times are UTC. Add or subtract your own offset. A planet that turns retrograde in December and direct in January appears in both years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which planets are retrograde in 2026?
In 2026: Mercury from 26 February to 20 March, 29 June to 23 July and 24 October to 13 November. Venus from 3 October to 14 November. Jupiter from 11 November to 11 March and 13 December to 13 April. Saturn from 26 July to 10 December. Uranus from 6 September to 4 February and 10 September to 8 February. Neptune from 7 July to 12 December. Pluto from 6 May to 16 October.
Is a retrograde bad?
No. It is a normal part of every planet's cycle. Classical astrology reads a retrograde planet as slower and more inward, and the days around the two stations as the strongest part of the period.
What is a station?
The moment a planet stops and changes direction. There are two per retrograde, one when it turns backwards and one when it turns forward again. The planet sits almost still for a few days around each one.
Where are the Moon and the Sun?
The Sun and Moon never go retrograde, so they are not in this table. The Moon's own calendar is on the moon calendar page.
Calculated with Swiss Ephemeris. Positions are geocentric and in the tropical zodiac, for 00:00 Universal Time.