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Neptune retrograde 1981

Neptune retrograde 1981: 1 period, 160 days inside the year — 43.9% of 1981. Neptune turned retrograde at 6:08 AM UTC on March 27 at 24°51′ Sagittarius and turned direct at 11:07 AM UTC on September 3 at 22°05′ Sagittarius.

Turns retrograde
Mar 27 6:08 AM UTC
Turns direct
Sep 3 11:07 AM UTC
Retrograde in 1981
160 days 43.9% of the year
Sign
Sagittarius retreats 2.77°
Neptune Retrograde 1981 Dates: Mar 27 – Sep 3

Neptune’s path through 1981, day by day

Apparent position of Neptune against the zodiac, 1981
Apparent position of Neptune against the zodiac, 1981. Neptune starts 1981 at 22°47′ Sagittarius and ends it at 24°53′ Sagittarius — 2.1° of net progress: 4.9° forward, 2.8° given back. The loop retraces 2.77° in 160 days, from 24°51′ Sagittarius on Mar 27 back to 22°05′ Sagittarius on Sep 3. Fastest day: Dec 14, 0.038° forward; fastest backward: Jun 11, 0.027°. Counting the shadows, 365 days of 1981 sit inside a retrograde window. Pre-retrograde shadow: Dec 6, 1980 – Mar 27, 1981Post-retrograde shadow: Sep 3, 1981 – Dec 24, 1981Pre-retrograde shadow: Dec 8, 1981 – Mar 29, 1982Retrograde: Mar 27, 1981 – Sep 3, 198122° Sagittarius25° SagittariusStations retrograde Mar 27, 1981, 6:08 AM UTC, 24°51′ SagittariusR Mar 27Stations direct Sep 3, 1981, 11:07 AM UTC, 22°05′ SagittariusD Sep 3JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSource: JPL orbital elements; stations NASA JPL DE440astrohot.com Apparent position of Neptune against the zodiac, 1981. Neptune starts 1981 at 22°47′ Sagittarius and ends it at 24°53′ Sagittarius — 2.1° of net progress: 4.9° forward, 2.8° given back. The loop retraces 2.77° in 160 days, from 24°51′ Sagittarius on Mar 27 back to 22°05′ Sagittarius on Sep 3. Fastest day: Dec 14, 0.038° forward; fastest backward: Jun 11, 0.027°. Counting the shadows, 365 days of 1981 sit inside a retrograde window. Pre-retrograde shadow: Dec 6, 1980 – Mar 27, 1981Post-retrograde shadow: Sep 3, 1981 – Dec 24, 1981Pre-retrograde shadow: Dec 8, 1981 – Mar 29, 1982Retrograde: Mar 27, 1981 – Sep 3, 198122° Sagittarius25° SagittariusStations retrograde Mar 27, 1981, 6:08 AM UTC, 24°51′ SagittariusR Mar 27Stations direct Sep 3, 1981, 11:07 AM UTC, 22°05′ SagittariusD Sep 3JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSource: JPL orbital elements; stations NASA JPL DE440astrohot.com
Retrograde Shadow R — stations retrograde · D — stations direct

Neptune starts 1981 at 22°47′ Sagittarius and ends it at 24°53′ Sagittarius — 2.1° of net progress: 4.9° forward, 2.8° given back. The loop retraces 2.77° in 160 days, from 24°51′ Sagittarius on Mar 27 back to 22°05′ Sagittarius on Sep 3. Fastest day: Dec 14, 0.038° forward; fastest backward: Jun 11, 0.027°. Counting the shadows, 365 days of 1981 sit inside a retrograde window.

Exact times

Neptune retrograde 1981: exact times in your city

Neptune turned retrograde at 6:08 AM UTC on March 27, 1981 at 24°51′ Sagittarius — 2:08 AM in Santiago, 1:08 AM in New York, 6:08 AM in London and 3:08 PM in Tokyo.

City Turns retrograde Turns direct
UTC Fri, Mar 27 · 24°51′ Sagittarius Thu, Sep 3 · 22°05′ Sagittarius
Honolulu United States 8:08 PM Thu, Mar 26 · UTC−10 1:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−10
Anchorage United States 8:08 PM Thu, Mar 26 · UTC−10 2:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−9
Los Angeles United States 10:08 PM Thu, Mar 26 · UTC−8 4:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−7
Phoenix United States 11:08 PM Thu, Mar 26 · UTC−7 4:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−7
Denver United States 11:08 PM Thu, Mar 26 · UTC−7 5:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−6
Chicago United States 12:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−6 6:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−5
Mexico City Mexico 12:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−6 5:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−6
New York United States 1:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−5 7:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−4
Toronto Canada 1:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−5 7:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−4
Bogotá Colombia 1:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−5 6:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−5
Lima Peru 1:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−5 6:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−5
Caracas Venezuela 2:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−4 7:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−4
Santiago Chile 2:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−4 7:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−4
Buenos Aires Argentina 3:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−3 8:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−3
São Paulo Brazil 3:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC−3 8:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC−3
Reykjavík Iceland 6:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC 11:07 AM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC
London United Kingdom 6:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC 12:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+1
Lagos Nigeria 7:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+1 12:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+1
Paris France 7:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+1 1:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+2
Berlin Germany 7:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+1 1:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+2
Johannesburg South Africa 8:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+2 1:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+2
Cairo Egypt 8:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+2 2:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+3
Athens Greece 8:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+2 2:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+3
Istanbul Turkey 9:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+3 2:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+3
Moscow Russia 9:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+3 3:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+4
Nairobi Kenya 9:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+3 2:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+3
Tehran Iran 9:38 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+3:30 2:37 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+3:30
Dubai United Arab Emirates 10:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+4 3:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+4
Karachi Pakistan 11:08 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+5 4:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+5
New Delhi India 11:38 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+5:30 4:37 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+5:30
Kathmandu Nepal 11:38 AM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+5:30 4:37 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+5:30
Dhaka Bangladesh 12:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+6 5:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+6
Bangkok Thailand 1:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+7 6:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+7
Jakarta Indonesia 1:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+7 6:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+7
Singapore 1:38 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+7:30 6:37 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+7:30
Beijing China 2:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+8 7:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+8
Manila Philippines 2:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+8 7:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+8
Perth Australia 2:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+8 7:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+8
Seoul South Korea 3:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+9 8:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+9
Tokyo Japan 3:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+9 8:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+9
Adelaide Australia 3:38 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+9:30 8:37 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+9:30
Brisbane Australia 4:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+10 9:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+10
Sydney Australia 4:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+10 9:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+10
Auckland New Zealand 6:08 PM Fri, Mar 27 · UTC+12 11:07 PM Thu, Sep 3 · UTC+12

Stations from the NASA JPL DE440 ephemeris. Swiss Ephemeris agrees on every Neptune station 1900–2050: median under a minute, largest 1.8 minutes. Near a station Neptune barely moves, so almanacs differ by minutes. Local times: IANA time zones, to the minute.

160 days · retreats 2.77°

March 27 → September 3, 1981 in Sagittarius

Stations retrograde Mar 27, 1981, 6:08 AM UTC at 24°51′ Sagittarius
Stations direct Sep 3, 1981, 11:07 AM UTC at 22°05′ Sagittarius
Shadow opens Dec 6, 1980, 5:10 AM UTC (111 days before)
Shadow closes Dec 24, 1981, 4:56 AM UTC (112 days after)
Full window including shadows 383 days

It begins in Aries season and ends in Virgo season.

Also retrograde at the same time

  • Jupiter in Libra — Mar 27 to May 27, 1981 (62 days of overlap)
  • Saturn in Libra — Mar 27 to Jun 5, 1981 (70 days of overlap)
  • Uranus in Sagittarius — Mar 27 to Aug 4, 1981 (130 days of overlap)
  • Pluto in Libra — Mar 27 to Jul 1, 1981 (96 days of overlap)
  • Mercury in Cancer — Jun 9 to Jul 3, 1981 (24 days of overlap)

For the sign itself, see Sagittarius and its daily horoscope.

Computed from the actual motion

The nearest Neptune retrogrades either side of 1981

Previous

1980 Ended August 31, 1980 after 160 days, moving back 2.77° through the zodiac.

Next

1982 Begins March 29, 1982 and runs 160 days.

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 1981

Neptune through the zodiac in 1981

Every sign Neptune occupies during 1981, 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.

Neptune in Sagittarius From Jan 1 – Dec 31 and beyond

The whole year is spent in one sign — a sign of how slowly Neptune moves.

1981 at a glance

Every other retrograde in 1981

Saturn in Libra Jan 18, 1981 – Jun 5, 1981 · 137 days
Jupiter in Libra Jan 24, 1981 – May 27, 1981 · 123 days
Pluto in Libra Jan 26, 1981 – Jul 1, 1981 · 156 days
Mercury in Pisces Feb 8, 1981 – Mar 2, 1981 · 22 days
Uranus in Sagittarius Mar 5, 1981 – Aug 4, 1981 · 152 days
Mercury in Cancer Jun 9, 1981 – Jul 3, 1981 · 24 days
Mercury in Scorpio Oct 6, 1981 – Oct 27, 1981 · 21 days
Venus in Aquarius Dec 31, 1981 – Feb 10, 1982 · 41 days
← 1980 Neptune retrograde in 1980. All Neptune retrogrades Averages, shadow periods and the sign distribution over fifty years. 1982 → Neptune retrograde in 1982.

Cite this page

AstroHot. “Neptune Retrograde 1981 Dates: Mar 27 – Sep 3.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/neptune/1981/

For Wikipedia {{cite web |title=Neptune Retrograde 1981 Dates: Mar 27 – Sep 3 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/neptune/1981/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-31}}