What to do
- Revisit stalled projects and adjust the plan
- Rest and recover rather than push through
- Find a physical outlet for frustration
- Resolve old conflicts calmly
Mars retrograde: now and in 2026
Mars is not retrograde right now — it is direct in Leo and turns retrograde on January 10, 2027. 2026 has no Mars retrograde at all: the planet turns back once every 779.94 days, so some calendar years fall between two loops.
- Right now
- Direct since Feb 24, 2025
- Turns retrograde
- Jan 10 2027, 12:59 PM UTC
- Retrograde in 2026
- None direct all year
- On average
- 9.4% of days, 2016–2036
Exact times
Next Mars stations: exact times in your city
Mars turns retrograde at 12:59 PM UTC on January 10, 2027 at 10°25′ Virgo — 9:59 AM in Santiago, 7:59 AM in New York, 12:59 PM in London and 9:59 PM in Tokyo.
| City | Turns retrograde · Jan 10, 2027 | Turns direct · Apr 1, 2027 | Turns retrograde · Feb 14, 2029 | Turns direct · May 5, 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · 10°25′ Virgo | Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · 20°55′ Leo | Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · 13°55′ Libra | Sat, May 5, 2029 · 24°55′ Virgo |
| Honolulu United States | 2:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−10 | 4:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−10 | 10:16 PM Tue, Feb 13, 2029 · UTC−10 | 9:00 AM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−10 |
| Anchorage United States | 3:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−9 | 6:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−8 | 11:16 PM Tue, Feb 13, 2029 · UTC−9 | 11:00 AM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−8 |
| Los Angeles United States | 4:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−8 | 7:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−7 | 12:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−8 | 12:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−7 |
| Phoenix United States | 5:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−7 | 7:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−7 | 1:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−7 | 12:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−7 |
| Denver United States | 5:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−7 | 8:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−6 | 1:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−7 | 1:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−6 |
| Chicago United States | 6:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−6 | 9:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−5 | 2:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−6 | 2:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−5 |
| Mexico City Mexico | 6:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−6 | 8:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−6 | 2:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−6 | 1:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−6 |
| New York United States | 7:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−5 | 10:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−4 | 3:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−5 | 3:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−4 |
| Toronto Canada | 7:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−5 | 10:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−4 | 3:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−5 | 3:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−4 |
| Bogotá Colombia | 7:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−5 | 9:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−5 | 3:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−5 | 2:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−5 |
| Lima Peru | 7:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−5 | 9:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−5 | 3:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−5 | 2:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−5 |
| Caracas Venezuela | 8:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−4 | 10:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−4 | 4:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−4 | 3:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−4 |
| Santiago Chile | 9:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−3 | 11:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−3 | 5:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−3 | 3:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−4 |
| Buenos Aires Argentina | 9:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−3 | 11:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−3 | 5:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−3 | 4:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−3 |
| São Paulo Brazil | 9:59 AM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC−3 | 11:08 AM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC−3 | 5:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC−3 | 4:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC−3 |
| Reykjavík Iceland | 12:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC | 2:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC | 8:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC | 7:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC |
| London United Kingdom | 12:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC | 3:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+1 | 8:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC | 8:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+1 |
| Lagos Nigeria | 1:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+1 | 3:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+1 | 9:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+1 | 8:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+1 |
| Paris France | 1:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+1 | 4:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+2 | 9:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+1 | 9:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+2 |
| Berlin Germany | 1:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+1 | 4:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+2 | 9:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+1 | 9:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+2 |
| Johannesburg South Africa | 2:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+2 | 4:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+2 | 10:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+2 | 9:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+2 |
| Cairo Egypt | 2:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+2 | 4:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+2 | 10:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+2 | 10:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+3 |
| Athens Greece | 2:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+2 | 5:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+3 | 10:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+2 | 10:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+3 |
| Istanbul Turkey | 3:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+3 | 5:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+3 | 11:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+3 | 10:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+3 |
| Moscow Russia | 3:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+3 | 5:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+3 | 11:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+3 | 10:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+3 |
| Nairobi Kenya | 3:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+3 | 5:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+3 | 11:16 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+3 | 10:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+3 |
| Tehran Iran | 4:29 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+3:30 | 5:38 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+3:30 | 11:46 AM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+3:30 | 10:30 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+3:30 |
| Dubai United Arab Emirates | 4:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+4 | 6:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+4 | 12:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+4 | 11:00 PM Sat, May 5, 2029 · UTC+4 |
| Karachi Pakistan | 5:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+5 | 7:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+5 | 1:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+5 | 12:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+5 |
| New Delhi India | 6:29 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+5:30 | 7:38 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+5:30 | 1:46 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+5:30 | 12:30 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+5:30 |
| Kathmandu Nepal | 6:44 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+5:45 | 7:53 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+5:45 | 2:01 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+5:45 | 12:45 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+5:45 |
| Dhaka Bangladesh | 6:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+6 | 8:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+6 | 2:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+6 | 1:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+6 |
| Bangkok Thailand | 7:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+7 | 9:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+7 | 3:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+7 | 2:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+7 |
| Jakarta Indonesia | 7:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+7 | 9:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+7 | 3:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+7 | 2:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+7 |
| Singapore | 8:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+8 | 10:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+8 | 4:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+8 | 3:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+8 |
| Beijing China | 8:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+8 | 10:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+8 | 4:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+8 | 3:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+8 |
| Manila Philippines | 8:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+8 | 10:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+8 | 4:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+8 | 3:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+8 |
| Perth Australia | 8:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+8 | 10:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+8 | 4:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+8 | 3:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+8 |
| Seoul South Korea | 9:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+9 | 11:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+9 | 5:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+9 | 4:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+9 |
| Tokyo Japan | 9:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+9 | 11:08 PM Thu, Apr 1, 2027 · UTC+9 | 5:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+9 | 4:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+9 |
| Adelaide Australia | 11:29 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+10:30 | 12:38 AM Fri, Apr 2, 2027 · UTC+10:30 | 6:46 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+10:30 | 4:30 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+9:30 |
| Brisbane Australia | 10:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+10 | 12:08 AM Fri, Apr 2, 2027 · UTC+10 | 6:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+10 | 5:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+10 |
| Sydney Australia | 11:59 PM Sun, Jan 10, 2027 · UTC+11 | 1:08 AM Fri, Apr 2, 2027 · UTC+11 | 7:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+11 | 5:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+10 |
| Auckland New Zealand | 1:59 AM Mon, Jan 11, 2027 · UTC+13 | 3:08 AM Fri, Apr 2, 2027 · UTC+13 | 9:16 PM Wed, Feb 14, 2029 · UTC+13 | 7:00 AM Sun, May 6, 2029 · UTC+12 |
Stations from the NASA JPL DE440 ephemeris. Swiss Ephemeris agrees on every Mars station 1900–2050: all within a minute. Local times: IANA time zones, to the minute.
18 pages · printable
The 2027 Sky Calendar — free PDF
Every retrograde, eclipse, new and full moon of 2027 to the minute, already converted to your city. A month to a page, ready to print.
Is Mars retrograde right now?
Right now · October 28, 2026
No — direct
♂ Leo 16.7°
Moving forward 0.5154° per day. Next retrograde begins January 10, 2027.
The traditional reading
What does Mars retrograde mean?
Mars rules energy, drive, anger and action. It turns back roughly every two years for about ten weeks, and tradition reads the period as one where momentum stalls: projects slow down, frustration builds and old conflicts flare up again. The advice is to redirect effort rather than force it — revisit plans, rest, and deal with anger before it turns into a fight.
What to avoid
- Starting fights or aggressive negotiations
- Launching high-risk ventures
- Starting a big new project just to feel momentum
- Taking physical risks when tired or angry
What the other pages do not tell you
The part that is measurable
9.4%
of all days in 2016–2036,
34.2 a year on average.
0–81
days in the lightest and heaviest year of 2016–2036.
Mars has no retrograde days in 2026, like 41 of the 101 years from 1950 to 2050. The most in one year is 81 days, in 7 of those years, first in 1965.
2026 in detail
Mars's stations in 2026, in UTC, with the degree inside the sign.
No retrograde in 2026
Mars stays direct for the whole calendar year. Its loops come 779.94 days apart and last only weeks, so now and then a whole year falls between two of them — check the neighboring years below.
Which signs it happens in
24 retrograde periods of Mars between 2000 and 2050, grouped by the sign the station falls in. They spread across all twelve signs, with no more than 3 in any one.
Answered from the ephemeris, 1950–2050
Mars retrograde in numbers
How often is Mars retrograde?
Every 780.4 days on average, about once in 2.1 years: 48 loops between 1950 and 2050. 41 of those 101 calendar years have no Mars retrograde at all.
How long does Mars retrograde last?
73.7 days on average, from 60 to 81.1 days in 1950–2050. The longest of them began on January 24, 2012. Counting both shadows, the whole window averages 189.3 days, which leaves about 591 days between one window and the next.
When is the next Mars retrograde?
The next Mars retrograde starts on January 10, 2027 at 12:59 PM UTC, at 10°25′ Virgo, and ends on April 1, 2027 — 81 days.
When is Mars retrograde in 2027?
Once: January 10 to April 1 in Virgo.
Why Mars turns back
Mars orbits outside Earth's path, so it appears to reverse around opposition — the weeks when Earth overtakes it on the inside track. Earth and Mars line up again every 779.94 days, and across 2016–2036 a single retrograde lasted 72 days on average. 9 of those 21 years had no Mars retrograde at all.
Mars retrograde on 9.4% of days, 2016–2036
Tradition ties Mars to drive, conflict, momentum and anything you were about to start, and reads its retrograde as the time to go back over them. In practice that advice applies on about one day in eleven, and only in the years that have a loop. The shadow dates in the table are explained on the retrograde overview.
Sources
- Park, Folkner, Williams & Boggs, “The JPL Planetary and Lunar Ephemerides DE440 and DE441”, The Astronomical Journal 161:105 (2021)
- Astrodienst, Swiss Ephemeris
Statements of fact on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. How we choose and check sources: editorial policy.
Cite this page
AstroHot. “Is Mars Retrograde Right Now? Mars Retrograde 2026 Dates.” Accessed October 28, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mars/
For Wikipedia
{{cite web |title=Is Mars Retrograde Right Now? Mars Retrograde 2026 Dates |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mars/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-28}}