9/28/2023 0 Comments Retrograde motionOf all the planets, Mercury in retrograde lasts the shortest amount of time, and in popular media, it's frequently associated with a time of disruption, but there is little (if any) scientific evidence for this. This means it overtakes us three or four times every year, and therefore goes into retrograde three or four times a year, lasting around three weeks at a time. Travelling the fastest out of all the planets, it only takes approximately 88 days for Mercury to orbit the Sun (and earning it the nickname the Swift Planet). However, planets closer to the Sun can go into retrograde. It’s also when the planet in question is closest to the Earth, making it appear bigger and brighter, so it’s an excellent time to observe these distant worlds.īecause Mercury and Venus have orbits that are closer to the Sun than the Earth’s, they can never go into opposition. Oppositions occur approximately once a year for each planet (except Mars, which is around every 26 months), and occur as the Earth passes between that planet and the Sun. In astronomy, opposition is when a planet appears to be in the opposite direction to the Sun, as viewed from Earth. The superior planets – any of the planets whose orbit is further away from the Sun than the Earth’s – go into retrograde around the same time as they are in opposition. This is why you’ll often hear retrograde referred to as ‘apparent retrograde motion’ – as it only appears as though the planet is moving backwards, it’s not really. Think of when you overtake a vehicle on the motorway you catch up with the other car, then you’re level with each other, and then the other car appears to move backwards as you pull ahead. Animation showing the apparent retrograde motion of a planet in the outer solar system, such as Jupiter. As Earth overtakes another planet, let’s say Jupiter, it overtakes on the inside and from our viewpoint on Earth, this results in Jupiter appearing to zigzag across the sky. When the Earth’s orbit overtakes a planet with a slower orbit, we see that planet from a different perspective. It’s created by the different speeds at which the planets orbit the Sun. This backwards movement, retrograde, is actually an illusion created by our viewpoint here on Earth. If a planet suddenly started moving backwards, it’s perhaps not surprising that our ancestors might have taken this as a sign of impending doom. The word ‘retrograde’ itself, means to move backwards. To the observer, this looks as though the planet is moving backwards. When a planet is going through a period of apparent retrograde motion, it appears as though it’s moving in the opposite direction, from east to west across the sky, often looping or zig-zagging as it goes. ![]() Anticlockwise motion is the ‘normal’ (more common) motion and is known as ‘prograde’. The planets move from west to east across the night sky.Īll the planets travel in the same direction around the Sun, and if you imagine a spot above the Earth’s north pole, they would be seen to travel anticlockwise. There are also regular meteor showers every year and we’ve rounded them all up in this handy meteor shower calendar. If you’re looking forward to making the most of clear nights this year, we’ve put together this full Moon UK calendar and astronomy for beginners guide to help you plan ahead. Whether or not you believe this, planets going into retrograde is a common and regular occurrence, and on 4 September 2023, there will be six planets in retrograde at the same time… seven if you include Pluto.īut what exactly does retrograde mean? What planets are in retrograde right now? And what causes the apparent retrograde motion of the planets? Answers to these questions, and more, are below. In reality, however, there is very little scientific evidence that any of the planets going into retrograde will have a tangible effect on our lives. ![]() ![]() When planets in our Solar System go into retrograde, you’ll often hear them being blamed as the source of a person’s woes, restlessness, burnout or, more optimistically, representing a time for reflection. Retrograde motion of the planets: Everything you need to know
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