Mercury retrograde 1987: 3 periods, 67 days inside the year — 18.4% of 1987. Mercury turned retrograde at 4:07 PM UTC on February 18 at 14°30′ Pisces and turned direct at 9:22 PM UTC on March 12 at 29°57′ Aquarius. The other four stations are in the table below.
Turns retrograde
Feb 18 4:07 PM UTC
Loops in 1987
3 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 1987
67 days 18.4% of the year
Signs
Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio last loop retreats 15.81°
Mercury’s path through 1987, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, 1987
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 1987 at 2°59′ Capricorn and ends it at 14°40′ Capricorn — a full lap of the zodiac plus 11.7°: 411.4° forward, 39.7° given back. Its three loops retrace 14.55°, 9.41° and 15.81° (22, 24 and 21 days). Fastest day: May 9, 2.17° forward; fastest backward: Oct 27, 1.27°. Counting the shadows, 168 days of 1987 sit inside a retrograde window.
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Exact times
Mercury retrograde 1987: exact times in your city
Mercury turned retrograde at 4:07 PM UTC on February 18, 1987 at 14°30′ Pisces — 1:07 PM in Santiago, 11:07 AM in New York, 4:07 PM in London and 1:07 AM on February 19 in Tokyo.
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.
22 days · retreats 14.55°
February 18 → March 12, 1987 in Pisces
Stations retrograde
Feb 18, 1987, 4:07 PM UTC at
14°30′ Pisces
Stations direct
Mar 12, 1987, 9:22 PM UTC at
29°57′ Aquarius
Shadow opens
Feb 4, 1987, 1:47 AM UTC
(15 days before)
Shadow closes
Apr 1, 1987, 6:47 PM UTC
(20 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The February loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 14.55° between 29°57′ Aquarius and 14°30′ Pisces three times: forward in the pre-shadow (15 days), back while retrograde (22 days), forward again in the post-shadow (20 days).
Mercury retrograde in Pisces
In Pisces the retrograde blurs details and heightens intuition. Instructions are misread, dates are forgotten and communication relies on feeling rather than fact. It favors rest, creative reflection and double-checking anything that must be exact.
…and back into Aquarius
In Aquarius the retrograde falls on technology, groups and future plans. Software glitches, group chats full of misunderstandings and stalled community projects are typical. It suits updating systems, reconnecting with old friends and rethinking long-range ideas.
It begins in Aquarius season and ends in
Pisces season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Pluto
in Scorpio —
Feb 18 to Mar 12, 1987 (22 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Jun 21, 1987, 3:44 AM UTC at
16°48′ Cancer
Stations direct
Jul 15, 1987, 7:51 AM UTC at
7°23′ Cancer
Shadow opens
Jun 4, 1987, 11:58 PM UTC
(16 days before)
Shadow closes
Jul 29, 1987, 3:28 PM UTC
(14 days after)
Full window including shadows55 days
The June loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 9.41° between 7°23′ Cancer and 16°48′ Cancer three times: forward in the pre-shadow (16 days), back while retrograde (24 days), forward again in the post-shadow (14 days).
Mercury retrograde in Cancer
In Cancer the retrograde turns toward home, family and memory. Old family conversations resurface, house moves hit snags, and people revisit the past more than usual. It suits sorting photographs, repairing the home and having the talk you postponed with a relative.
It begins in Gemini season and ends in
Cancer season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Saturn
in Sagittarius —
Jun 21 to Jul 15, 1987 (24 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Sagittarius —
Jun 21 to Jul 15, 1987 (24 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Capricorn —
Jun 21 to Jul 15, 1987 (24 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Scorpio —
Jun 21 to Jul 15, 1987 (24 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Oct 16, 1987, 4:46 PM UTC at
13°12′ Scorpio
Stations direct
Nov 6, 1987, 7:39 AM UTC at
27°23′ Libra
Shadow opens
Sep 26, 1987, 1:50 PM UTC
(20 days before)
Shadow closes
Nov 22, 1987, 1:15 PM UTC
(16 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The October loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 15.81° between 27°23′ Libra and 13°12′ Scorpio three times: forward in the pre-shadow (20 days), back while retrograde (21 days), forward again in the post-shadow (16 days).
Mercury retrograde in Scorpio
In Scorpio the retrograde goes digging. Secrets surface, shared finances need re-examining, and conversations turn intense. It suits research, therapy and honest reckonings, and it punishes suspicion that runs ahead of the facts.
…and back into Libra
In Libra the retrograde centers on relationships, agreements and contracts. Negotiations stall or reopen, misunderstandings arise in partnerships, and people from the past reappear. It favors renegotiating terms and clarifying what was assumed rather than signing new deals.
It begins in Libra season and ends in
Scorpio season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Jupiter
in Aries —
Oct 16 to Nov 6, 1987 (21 days of overlap)
Both dates are computed from the planet’s apparent motion, not taken from a
table. A retrograde begins the moment its daily movement against the stars turns
negative, and that moment is findable to the hour.
Computed for 1987
Mercury through the zodiac in 1987
Every sign Mercury occupies during 1987, with the dates it enters and leaves. A sign that
appears twice means the planet backed into the previous sign during a retrograde and crossed again.
AstroHot. “Mercury Retrograde 1987 Dates: Feb 18, Jun 21, Oct 16.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1987/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 1987 Dates: Feb 18, Jun 21, Oct 16 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1987/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-31}}
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