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Pluto retrograde 1981

Pluto retrograde 1981: 1 period, 156 days inside the year — 42.8% of 1981. Pluto turned retrograde at 12:51 PM UTC on January 26 at 24°21′ Libra and turned direct at 4:12 PM UTC on July 1 at 21°31′ Libra.

Turns retrograde
Jan 26 12:51 PM UTC
Turns direct
Jul 1 4:12 PM UTC
Retrograde in 1981
156 days 42.8% of the year
Sign
Libra retreats 2.81°
Pluto Retrograde 1981 Dates: Jan 26 – Jul 1

Pluto’s path through 1981, day by day

Apparent position of Pluto against the zodiac, 1981
Apparent position of Pluto against the zodiac, 1981. Pluto starts 1981 at 23°53′ Libra and ends it at 26°26′ Libra — 2.6° of net progress: 5.4° forward, 2.8° given back. The loop retraces 2.81° in 156 days, from 24°20′ Libra on Jan 26 back to 21°32′ Libra on Jul 1. Fastest day: Oct 17, 0.04° forward; fastest backward: Apr 13, 0.028°. Counting the shadows, 365 days of 1981 sit inside a retrograde window. Pre-retrograde shadow: Oct 10, 1980 – Jan 26, 1981Post-retrograde shadow: Jul 1, 1981 – Oct 19, 1981Pre-retrograde shadow: Oct 13, 1981 – Jan 29, 1982Retrograde: Jan 26, 1981 – Jul 1, 198121° Libra22° Libra23° Libra24° Libra25° Libra26° LibraStations retrograde Jan 26, 1981, 12:51 PM UTC, 24°21′ LibraR Jan 26Stations direct Jul 1, 1981, 4:12 PM UTC, 21°31′ LibraD Jul 1JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSource: JPL orbital elements; stations NASA JPL DE440astrohot.com Apparent position of Pluto against the zodiac, 1981. Pluto starts 1981 at 23°53′ Libra and ends it at 26°26′ Libra — 2.6° of net progress: 5.4° forward, 2.8° given back. The loop retraces 2.81° in 156 days, from 24°20′ Libra on Jan 26 back to 21°32′ Libra on Jul 1. Fastest day: Oct 17, 0.04° forward; fastest backward: Apr 13, 0.028°. Counting the shadows, 365 days of 1981 sit inside a retrograde window. Pre-retrograde shadow: Oct 10, 1980 – Jan 26, 1981Post-retrograde shadow: Jul 1, 1981 – Oct 19, 1981Pre-retrograde shadow: Oct 13, 1981 – Jan 29, 1982Retrograde: Jan 26, 1981 – Jul 1, 198121° Libra22° Libra23° Libra25° Libra26° LibraStations retrograde Jan 26, 1981, 12:51 PM UTC, 24°21′ LibraR Jan 26Stations direct Jul 1, 1981, 4:12 PM UTC, 21°31′ LibraD Jul 1JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSource: JPL orbital elements; stations NASA JPL DE440astrohot.com
Retrograde Shadow R — stations retrograde · D — stations direct

Pluto starts 1981 at 23°53′ Libra and ends it at 26°26′ Libra — 2.6° of net progress: 5.4° forward, 2.8° given back. The loop retraces 2.81° in 156 days, from 24°20′ Libra on Jan 26 back to 21°32′ Libra on Jul 1. Fastest day: Oct 17, 0.04° forward; fastest backward: Apr 13, 0.028°. Counting the shadows, 365 days of 1981 sit inside a retrograde window.

Exact times

Pluto retrograde 1981: exact times in your city

Pluto turned retrograde at 12:51 PM UTC on January 26, 1981 at 24°21′ Libra — 9:51 AM in Santiago, 7:51 AM in New York, 12:51 PM in London and 9:51 PM in Tokyo.

City Turns retrograde Turns direct
UTC Mon, Jan 26 · 24°21′ Libra Wed, Jul 1 · 21°31′ Libra
Honolulu United States 2:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−10 6:12 AM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−10
Anchorage United States 2:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−10 7:12 AM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−9
Los Angeles United States 4:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−8 9:12 AM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−7
Phoenix United States 5:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−7 9:12 AM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−7
Denver United States 5:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−7 10:12 AM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−6
Chicago United States 6:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−6 11:12 AM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−5
Mexico City Mexico 6:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−6 10:12 AM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−6
New York United States 7:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−5 12:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−4
Toronto Canada 7:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−5 12:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−4
Bogotá Colombia 7:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−5 11:12 AM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−5
Lima Peru 7:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−5 11:12 AM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−5
Caracas Venezuela 8:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−4 12:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−4
Santiago Chile 9:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−3 12:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−4
Buenos Aires Argentina 9:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−3 1:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−3
São Paulo Brazil 9:51 AM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC−3 1:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC−3
Reykjavík Iceland 12:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC 4:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC
London United Kingdom 12:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC 5:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+1
Lagos Nigeria 1:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+1 5:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+1
Paris France 1:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+1 6:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+2
Berlin Germany 1:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+1 6:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+2
Johannesburg South Africa 2:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+2 6:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+2
Cairo Egypt 2:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+2 7:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+3
Athens Greece 2:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+2 7:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+3
Istanbul Turkey 3:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+3 7:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+3
Moscow Russia 3:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+3 8:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+4
Nairobi Kenya 3:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+3 7:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+3
Tehran Iran 4:21 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+3:30 7:42 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+3:30
Dubai United Arab Emirates 4:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+4 8:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+4
Karachi Pakistan 5:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+5 9:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+5
New Delhi India 6:21 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+5:30 9:42 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+5:30
Kathmandu Nepal 6:21 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+5:30 9:42 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+5:30
Dhaka Bangladesh 6:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+6 10:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+6
Bangkok Thailand 7:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+7 11:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+7
Jakarta Indonesia 7:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+7 11:12 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+7
Singapore 8:21 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+7:30 11:42 PM Wed, Jul 1 · UTC+7:30
Beijing China 8:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+8 12:12 AM Thu, Jul 2 · UTC+8
Manila Philippines 8:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+8 12:12 AM Thu, Jul 2 · UTC+8
Perth Australia 8:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+8 12:12 AM Thu, Jul 2 · UTC+8
Seoul South Korea 9:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+9 1:12 AM Thu, Jul 2 · UTC+9
Tokyo Japan 9:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+9 1:12 AM Thu, Jul 2 · UTC+9
Adelaide Australia 11:21 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+10:30 1:42 AM Thu, Jul 2 · UTC+9:30
Brisbane Australia 10:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+10 2:12 AM Thu, Jul 2 · UTC+10
Sydney Australia 11:51 PM Mon, Jan 26 · UTC+11 2:12 AM Thu, Jul 2 · UTC+10
Auckland New Zealand 1:51 AM Tue, Jan 27 · UTC+13 4:12 AM Thu, Jul 2 · UTC+12

Stations from the NASA JPL DE440 ephemeris. Swiss Ephemeris agrees on every Pluto station 1900–2050: median 1.1 minutes, largest 16.1 minutes. Near a station Pluto barely moves, so almanacs differ by minutes. Local times: IANA time zones, to the minute.

156 days · retreats 2.81°

January 26 → July 1, 1981 in Libra

Stations retrograde Jan 26, 1981, 12:51 PM UTC at 24°21′ Libra
Stations direct Jul 1, 1981, 4:12 PM UTC at 21°31′ Libra
Shadow opens Oct 10, 1980, 8:52 PM UTC (108 days before)
Shadow closes Oct 19, 1981, 2:45 PM UTC (110 days after)
Full window including shadows 374 days

It begins in Aquarius season and ends in Cancer season.

Also retrograde at the same time

  • Jupiter in Libra — Jan 26 to May 27, 1981 (121 days of overlap)
  • Saturn in Libra — Jan 26 to Jun 5, 1981 (130 days of overlap)
  • Mercury in Pisces — Feb 8 to Mar 2, 1981 (22 days of overlap)
  • Uranus in Sagittarius — Mar 5 to Jul 1, 1981 (119 days of overlap)
  • Neptune in Sagittarius — Mar 27 to Jul 1, 1981 (96 days of overlap)
  • Mercury in Cancer — Jun 9 to Jul 1, 1981 (22 days of overlap)

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

Computed from the actual motion

The nearest Pluto retrogrades either side of 1981

Previous

1980 Ended June 28, 1980 after 156 days, moving back 2.81° through the zodiac.

Next

1982 Begins January 29, 1982 and runs 156 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

Pluto through the zodiac in 1981

Every sign Pluto 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.

Pluto in Libra From Jan 1 – Dec 31 and beyond

The whole year is spent in one sign — a sign of how slowly Pluto 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
Mercury in Pisces Feb 8, 1981 – Mar 2, 1981 · 22 days
Uranus in Sagittarius Mar 5, 1981 – Aug 4, 1981 · 152 days
Neptune in Sagittarius Mar 27, 1981 – Sep 3, 1981 · 160 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 Pluto retrograde in 1980. All Pluto retrogrades Averages, shadow periods and the sign distribution over fifty years. 1982 → Pluto retrograde in 1982.

Cite this page

AstroHot. “Pluto Retrograde 1981 Dates: Jan 26 – Jul 1.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/pluto/1981/

For Wikipedia {{cite web |title=Pluto Retrograde 1981 Dates: Jan 26 – Jul 1 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/pluto/1981/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-31}}