What to do
- Re-read contracts and emails before you send or sign
- Back up phones and computers
- Finish, revise and edit work already started
- Reconnect with old contacts and loose ends
- Leave extra time for travel
Mercury retrograde: now and in 2026
Mercury is retrograde right now, in Scorpio, and turns direct on November 13, 2026. Mercury retrograde covers 67 days of 2026, 18.4% of the year. It turns back once every 115.88 days, which is why the count drifts from one year to the next.
- Right now
- Retrograde since Oct 24, 2026
- Turns direct
- Nov 13 2026, 3:54 PM UTC
- Retrograde in 2026
- 67 days 18.4% of the year
- On average
- 19.3% of days, 2016–2036
Exact times
Next Mercury stations: exact times in your city
Mercury turns direct at 3:54 PM UTC on November 13, 2026 at 5°02′ Scorpio — 12:54 PM in Santiago, 10:54 AM in New York, 3:54 PM in London and 12:54 AM on November 14 in Tokyo.
| City | Turns direct · Nov 13, 2026 | Turns retrograde · Feb 9, 2027 | Turns direct · Mar 3, 2027 | Turns retrograde · Jun 10, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · 5°02′ Scorpio | Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · 5°58′ Pisces | Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · 20°55′ Aquarius | Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · 6°21′ Cancer |
| Honolulu United States | 5:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−10 | 7:36 AM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−10 | 2:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−10 | 8:15 AM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−10 |
| Anchorage United States | 6:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−9 | 8:36 AM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−9 | 3:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−9 | 10:15 AM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−8 |
| Los Angeles United States | 7:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−8 | 9:36 AM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−8 | 4:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−8 | 11:15 AM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−7 |
| Phoenix United States | 8:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−7 | 10:36 AM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−7 | 5:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−7 | 11:15 AM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−7 |
| Denver United States | 8:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−7 | 10:36 AM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−7 | 5:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−7 | 12:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−6 |
| Chicago United States | 9:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−6 | 11:36 AM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−6 | 6:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−6 | 1:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−5 |
| Mexico City Mexico | 9:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−6 | 11:36 AM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−6 | 6:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−6 | 12:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−6 |
| New York United States | 10:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−5 | 12:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−5 | 7:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−5 | 2:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−4 |
| Toronto Canada | 10:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−5 | 12:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−5 | 7:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−5 | 2:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−4 |
| Bogotá Colombia | 10:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−5 | 12:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−5 | 7:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−5 | 1:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−5 |
| Lima Peru | 10:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−5 | 12:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−5 | 7:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−5 | 1:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−5 |
| Caracas Venezuela | 11:54 AM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−4 | 1:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−4 | 8:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−4 | 2:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−4 |
| Santiago Chile | 12:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−3 | 2:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−3 | 9:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−3 | 2:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−4 |
| Buenos Aires Argentina | 12:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−3 | 2:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−3 | 9:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−3 | 3:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−3 |
| São Paulo Brazil | 12:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC−3 | 2:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC−3 | 9:32 AM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC−3 | 3:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC−3 |
| Reykjavík Iceland | 3:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC | 5:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC | 12:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC | 6:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC |
| London United Kingdom | 3:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC | 5:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC | 12:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC | 7:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+1 |
| Lagos Nigeria | 4:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+1 | 6:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+1 | 1:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+1 | 7:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+1 |
| Paris France | 4:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+1 | 6:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+1 | 1:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+1 | 8:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+2 |
| Berlin Germany | 4:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+1 | 6:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+1 | 1:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+1 | 8:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+2 |
| Johannesburg South Africa | 5:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+2 | 7:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+2 | 2:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+2 | 8:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+2 |
| Cairo Egypt | 5:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+2 | 7:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+2 | 2:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+2 | 9:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+3 |
| Athens Greece | 5:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+2 | 7:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+2 | 2:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+2 | 9:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+3 |
| Istanbul Turkey | 6:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+3 | 8:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+3 | 3:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+3 | 9:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+3 |
| Moscow Russia | 6:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+3 | 8:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+3 | 3:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+3 | 9:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+3 |
| Nairobi Kenya | 6:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+3 | 8:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+3 | 3:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+3 | 9:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+3 |
| Tehran Iran | 7:24 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+3:30 | 9:06 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+3:30 | 4:02 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+3:30 | 9:45 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+3:30 |
| Dubai United Arab Emirates | 7:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+4 | 9:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+4 | 4:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+4 | 10:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+4 |
| Karachi Pakistan | 8:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+5 | 10:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+5 | 5:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+5 | 11:15 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+5 |
| New Delhi India | 9:24 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+5:30 | 11:06 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+5:30 | 6:02 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+5:30 | 11:45 PM Thu, Jun 10, 2027 · UTC+5:30 |
| Kathmandu Nepal | 9:39 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+5:45 | 11:21 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+5:45 | 6:17 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+5:45 | 12:00 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+5:45 |
| Dhaka Bangladesh | 9:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+6 | 11:36 PM Tue, Feb 9, 2027 · UTC+6 | 6:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+6 | 12:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+6 |
| Bangkok Thailand | 10:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+7 | 12:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+7 | 7:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+7 | 1:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+7 |
| Jakarta Indonesia | 10:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+7 | 12:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+7 | 7:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+7 | 1:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+7 |
| Singapore | 11:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+8 | 1:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+8 | 8:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+8 | 2:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+8 |
| Beijing China | 11:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+8 | 1:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+8 | 8:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+8 | 2:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+8 |
| Manila Philippines | 11:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+8 | 1:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+8 | 8:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+8 | 2:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+8 |
| Perth Australia | 11:54 PM Fri, Nov 13, 2026 · UTC+8 | 1:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+8 | 8:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+8 | 2:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+8 |
| Seoul South Korea | 12:54 AM Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · UTC+9 | 2:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+9 | 9:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+9 | 3:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+9 |
| Tokyo Japan | 12:54 AM Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · UTC+9 | 2:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+9 | 9:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+9 | 3:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+9 |
| Adelaide Australia | 2:24 AM Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · UTC+10:30 | 4:06 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+10:30 | 11:02 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+10:30 | 3:45 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+9:30 |
| Brisbane Australia | 1:54 AM Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · UTC+10 | 3:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+10 | 10:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+10 | 4:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+10 |
| Sydney Australia | 2:54 AM Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · UTC+11 | 4:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+11 | 11:32 PM Wed, Mar 3, 2027 · UTC+11 | 4:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+10 |
| Auckland New Zealand | 4:54 AM Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · UTC+13 | 6:36 AM Wed, Feb 10, 2027 · UTC+13 | 1:32 AM Thu, Mar 4, 2027 · UTC+13 | 6:15 AM Fri, Jun 11, 2027 · UTC+12 |
Stations from the NASA JPL DE440 ephemeris. Swiss Ephemeris agrees on every Mercury 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 Mercury retrograde right now?
Right now · October 28, 2026
Yes — retrograde
☿ Scorpio 19.81°
Moving backward 0.5927° per day. Direct again on November 13, 2026.
The traditional reading
What does Mercury retrograde mean?
Mercury rules communication, travel, contracts, technology and everyday logistics, so its retrograde is traditionally read as a time when those things go wrong or need doing twice: messages are misread, trains are delayed, devices fail and plans need revising. The modern reading is less about disaster than about direction — a three-week window for reviewing, re-reading and finishing rather than starting. People from the past often reappear, and unfinished conversations come back round.
What to avoid
- Signing important contracts without checking the small print
- Buying expensive electronics on impulse
- Launching something that depends on clear communication
- Assuming a message was understood the way you meant it
What the other pages do not tell you
The part that is measurable
19.3%
of all days in 2016–2036,
70.6 a year on average — about one day in 5.
169 days
of 2026 with the shadows counted, against 67 of
retrograde proper — 46% of the year.
67–84
days in the lightest and heaviest year of 2016–2036.
Mercury is retrograde 67 days in 2026 — the minimum, shared by 67 of the 101 years from 1950 to 2050. The most is 84 days, in 2036.
2026 in detail
Mercury's stations in 2026, in UTC, with the degree inside the sign.
Period 1 of 3 · 23 days · retreats 14.07°
February 26 → March 20, 2026
Stations retrograde
Feb 26, 2026, 6:48 AM UTC ·
Pisces 22.57°
Stations direct
Mar 20, 2026, 7:32 PM UTC ·
Pisces 8.49°
Pre-retrograde shadow opens
Feb 11, 2026 · 14 days early
Post-retrograde shadow closes
Apr 9, 2026 · 20 days after
Full affected window
57 days
Falls in Pisces, which traditionally colors it toward empathy, imagination and porous boundaries
Period 2 of 3 · 24 days · retreats 9.94°
June 29 → July 23, 2026
Stations retrograde
Jun 29, 2026, 5:35 PM UTC ·
Cancer 26.26°
Stations direct
Jul 23, 2026, 10:57 PM UTC ·
Cancer 16.32°
Pre-retrograde shadow opens
Jun 13, 2026 · 17 days early
Post-retrograde shadow closes
Aug 7, 2026 · 14 days after
Full affected window
55 days
Falls in Cancer, which traditionally colors it toward protection, memory and deep attachment
Period 3 of 3 · 20 days · retreats 15.95°
October 24 → November 13, 2026
Stations retrograde
Oct 24, 2026, 7:12 AM UTC ·
Scorpio 20.98°
Stations direct
Nov 13, 2026, 3:53 PM UTC ·
Scorpio 5.03°
Pre-retrograde shadow opens
Oct 4, 2026 · 20 days early
Post-retrograde shadow closes
Nov 30, 2026 · 17 days after
Full affected window
57 days
Falls in Scorpio, which traditionally colors it toward intensity, privacy and refusal to accept surfaces
Which signs it happens in
161 retrograde periods of Mercury between 2000 and 2050, grouped by the sign the station falls in. They spread across all twelve signs, with no more than 15 in any one.
Answered from the ephemeris, 1950–2050
Mercury retrograde in numbers
How often is Mercury retrograde?
319 times between 1950 and 2050 — a new loop every 115.9 days on average, so three or four loops start in any calendar year. The spacing from one start to the next runs from 108.4 to 125.3 days.
How long does Mercury retrograde last?
22.2 days on average, from 19.8 to 24.2 days in 1950–2050. The longest of them began on June 28, 1980. Counting both shadows, the whole window averages 56.1 days, which leaves about 60 days between one window and the next.
When is the next Mercury retrograde?
Mercury is retrograde right now and turns direct on November 13, 2026. The loop after that starts on February 9, 2027 at 5:36 PM UTC, at 5°58′ Pisces, and ends on March 3, 2027 — 22 days.
When is Mercury retrograde in 2027?
Three times: February 9 to March 3 in Pisces; June 10 to July 4 in Cancer; and October 7 to October 28 in Scorpio.
Why Mercury turns back
Mercury orbits inside Earth's path, so it appears to reverse around inferior conjunction — the weeks when it passes between Earth and the Sun. Earth and Mercury line up again every 115.88 days, and across 2016–2036 a single retrograde lasted 22 days on average. Not one of those 21 years went without one.
Mercury retrograde on 19.3% of days, 2016–2036
Tradition ties Mercury to communication, travel, contracts, devices and everything that has to be re-read, and reads its retrograde as the time to go back over them. In practice that advice applies on about one day in five. 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 Mercury Retrograde Right Now? Mercury Retrograde 2026.” Accessed October 28, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/
For Wikipedia
{{cite web |title=Is Mercury Retrograde Right Now? Mercury Retrograde 2026 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-28}}