Open data · CC BY 4.0

Planetary retrograde periods, 1900–2050

Every retrograde of Mercury through Pluto, with both stations to the minute and the shadow dates. Computed by AstroHot and free to reuse with a credit.

Records
1,379
Coverage
1900–2050
Format
CSV 138 KB
Built
9 Oct 2026

Download the CSV How to cite

From the data

What the numbers show

  • Mercury was retrograde on 19.2% of all days from 1900 to 2050 — 476 separate retrogrades.
  • The longest Mercury retrograde in the period lasted 24 days (from 18 July 1900); the shortest, 20 days (from 9 November 1900).
  • 23 calendar years contain four Mercury retrogrades starting in them, the first in 1904.
  • Mars has no retrograde at all in 62 of the 151 calendar years — 41% of them.
Days of Mercury retrograde in each year, 1900–2050
6075901900 — 69 days: 691901 — 69 days: 691902 — 68 days: 681903 — 68 days: 681904 — 78 days: 781905 — 79 days: 791906 — 68 days: 681907 — 69 days: 691908 — 69 days: 691909 — 69 days: 691910 — 68 days: 681911 — 84 days: 841912 — 72 days: 721913 — 69 days: 691914 — 69 days: 691915 — 68 days: 681916 — 68 days: 681917 — 75 days: 751918 — 82 days: 821919 — 68 days: 681920 — 70 days: 701921 — 69 days: 691922 — 69 days: 691923 — 67 days: 671924 — 82 days: 821925 — 74 days: 741926 — 68 days: 681927 — 69 days: 691928 — 69 days: 691929 — 68 days: 681930 — 73 days: 731931 — 84 days: 841932 — 68 days: 681933 — 69 days: 691934 — 69 days: 691935 — 69 days: 691936 — 68 days: 681937 — 80 days: 801938 — 76 days: 761939 — 68 days: 681940 — 69 days: 691941 — 69 days: 691942 — 68 days: 681943 — 70 days: 701944 — 85 days: 851945 — 69 days: 691946 — 69 days: 691947 — 69 days: 691948 — 68 days: 681949 — 68 days: 681950 — 77 days: 771951 — 80 days: 801952 — 68 days: 681953 — 69 days: 691954 — 69 days: 691955 — 69 days: 691956 — 68 days: 681957 — 84 days: 841958 — 72 days: 721959 — 69 days: 691960 — 69 days: 691961 — 68 days: 681962 — 68 days: 681963 — 74 days: 741964 — 83 days: 831965 — 68 days: 681966 — 69 days: 691967 — 69 days: 691968 — 69 days: 691969 — 67 days: 671970 — 81 days: 811971 — 75 days: 751972 — 68 days: 681973 — 69 days: 691974 — 69 days: 691975 — 68 days: 681976 — 72 days: 721977 — 85 days: 851978 — 68 days: 681979 — 69 days: 691980 — 69 days: 691981 — 69 days: 691982 — 68 days: 681983 — 78 days: 781984 — 78 days: 781985 — 68 days: 681986 — 69 days: 691987 — 69 days: 691988 — 68 days: 681989 — 70 days: 701990 — 84 days: 841991 — 70 days: 701992 — 69 days: 691993 — 69 days: 691994 — 68 days: 681995 — 68 days: 681996 — 77 days: 771997 — 80 days: 801998 — 68 days: 681999 — 70 days: 702000 — 69 days: 692001 — 69 days: 692002 — 67 days: 672003 — 83 days: 832004 — 73 days: 732005 — 69 days: 692006 — 69 days: 692007 — 69 days: 692008 — 68 days: 682009 — 74 days: 742010 — 83 days: 832011 — 68 days: 682012 — 69 days: 692013 — 69 days: 692014 — 69 days: 692015 — 67 days: 672016 — 81 days: 812017 — 75 days: 752018 — 68 days: 682019 — 69 days: 692020 — 69 days: 692021 — 68 days: 682022 — 71 days: 712023 — 85 days: 852024 — 69 days: 692025 — 69 days: 692026 — 69 days: 692027 — 68 days: 682028 — 68 days: 682029 — 78 days: 782030 — 78 days: 782031 — 68 days: 682032 — 69 days: 692033 — 69 days: 692034 — 68 days: 682035 — 68 days: 682036 — 85 days: 852037 — 71 days: 712038 — 69 days: 692039 — 69 days: 692040 — 68 days: 682041 — 68 days: 682042 — 75 days: 752043 — 82 days: 822044 — 68 days: 682045 — 70 days: 702046 — 69 days: 692047 — 69 days: 692048 — 67 days: 672049 — 83 days: 832050 — 73 days: 73190019752050

The count swings between 67 and 85 days because Mercury’s 116-day cycle does not divide evenly into a calendar year.

Source: AstroHot, Planetary retrograde periods, 1900–2050.

A sample of the rows

The first rows for this year — the full file has 1,379.

planetstation_retrograde_utcstation_retrograde_signstation_retrograde_degreestation_direct_utcstation_direct_signstation_direct_degreedaysarc_degreesshadow_opens_utcshadow_closes_utc
Mercury2026-02-26 06:46Pisces22.22026-03-20 19:38Pisces8.132314.072026-02-112026-04-09
Mercury2026-06-29 17:42Cancer25.892026-07-23 22:47Cancer15.94249.942026-06-132026-08-07
Mercury2026-10-24 07:08Scorpio20.62026-11-13 15:53Scorpio4.652015.952026-10-042026-11-30
Venus2026-10-03 07:35Scorpio8.112026-11-14 00:26Libra22.484215.642026-08-312026-12-15
Jupiter2026-12-13 01:21Leo26.682027-04-13 03:08Leo16.6412110.032026-09-172027-07-11
Saturn2026-07-26 19:38Aries14.452026-12-11 01:06Aries7.631376.822026-04-202027-03-15
Uranus2026-09-10 15:27Gemini5.322027-02-08 10:30Gemini1.31514.022026-05-252027-05-26
Neptune2026-07-07 05:08Aries4.042026-12-12 20:32Aries1.231592.812026-03-162027-04-02
Pluto2026-05-06 07:08Aquarius5.132026-10-16 00:23Aquarius2.691632.452026-01-112027-02-07

Columns

planet Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto
station_retrograde_utc Moment the planet stations retrograde, UTC, to the minute
station_retrograde_sign Tropical zodiac sign at the retrograde station
station_retrograde_degree Degree within that sign, 0–30
station_direct_utc Moment the planet stations direct, UTC
station_direct_sign Sign at the direct station
station_direct_degree Degree within that sign
days Length of the retrograde in days
arc_degrees How far the planet moves backwards, in degrees of longitude
shadow_opens_utc Date the pre-retrograde shadow opens: first arrival at the degree of the direct station
shadow_closes_utc Date the post-retrograde shadow closes: return to the degree of the retrograde station

How it was computed

Geocentric ecliptic longitude computed from the JPL Keplerian elements for approximate planetary positions (Mercury to Neptune, valid 1800–2050; Pluto from the earlier edition of the same table). A station is the moment the daily motion changes sign, found by bisection to the minute. Shadow dates come from the definition: the shadow opens when the planet first reaches the degree it will retreat to, and closes when it returns to the degree where it turned.

How it was checked

Mercury stations for 2025 and 2026 match published ephemerides to the day, with identical signs in all six periods. The elements are an approximation good to roughly 0.2°, so slow outer-planet stations can differ from a full ephemeris by a day or two.

Download and cite

astrohot-retrograde-periods.csv — 1,379 rows, 138 KB, UTF-8, comma-separated, one header row.

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0: use it anywhere, including commercially, as long as you credit AstroHot and link to this page.

AstroHot (2026). Planetary retrograde periods, 1900–2050 [Data set]. https://astrohot.com/datasets/retrograde-periods/

Found an error? Tell us through the contact page with the row and the figure you expected — confirmed corrections go into the next build and are noted on the methodology page.

Where these numbers are used on the site: Retrograde planets, Mercury retrograde and Methodology.

All AstroHot datasets →