When is Mercury retrograde in 2026?

Mercury is retrograde three times in 2026: 26 February–20 March (Pisces), 29 June–23 July (Cancer) and 24 October–13 November (Scorpio), plus the shadow windows before and after. The exact, live dates are computed by the tool above from the ephemeris.

How long does Mercury retrograde last?

Each Mercury retrograde lasts about three weeks and happens 3–4 times a year. Counting the pre- and post-shadow periods, the full phase spans roughly 7–8 weeks.

What are the shadow periods?

They are the stretches — before the retrograde station and after the direct station — in which the planet retraces, in direct motion, the same zodiac arc it covered while retrograde. They are astronomical data, not a forecast.

How do you tell if a planet is retrograde?

From ephemeris: geocentric ecliptic speed (speed) is negative when the planet is retrograde. We do not use static lists.

Why are Sun and Moon not listed?

The Sun and Moon have no apparent retrograde motion from Earth: they are always excluded.

How precise are the station dates?

We numerically find the instant when ecliptic speed crosses zero and report each station as a calendar day (day-level precision), enough to pin the correct start and end day of the retrograde.

Retrograde planets

Which planets are retrograde right now, including Mercury retrograde, with sign, degree and exact station dates computed from the ephemeris.

Quick answer

In 2026 Mercury is retrograde in three periods: 26 February–20 March (in Pisces), 29 June–23 July (in Cancer) and 24 October–13 November (in Scorpio), about three weeks each. This tool goes beyond the list: it computes in real time, from the Moshier ephemeris, which planets are retrograde right now — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (Sun and Moon excluded) — with the exact retrograde and direct station dates and the shadow windows. Retrograde motion is a perspective effect from Earth, not real backward motion.

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Retrograde status for this moment

30 October 2026, 16:16 CET · Rome

Geocentric ecliptic speed from Moshier ephemeris; stations found where speed crosses zero. Data is verifiable.

Today's retrograde sky — you read it in the context of your moment

Astronomical data, not a forecast.

Retrograde now

planets retrograde

Retrograde now

Mercury

Retrograde ℞

Sign: Scorpio
Degree: 18°03' Scorpio

Current period

Retrograde station: 24 Oct 2026
Direct station: 13 Nov 2026

Venus

Retrograde ℞

Sign: Libra
Degree: 26°57' Libra

Current period

Retrograde station: 3 Oct 2026
Direct station: 14 Nov 2026

Saturn

Retrograde ℞

Sign: Aries
Degree: 9°22' Aries

Current period

Retrograde station: 26 Jul 2026
Direct station: 11 Dec 2026

Uranus

Retrograde ℞

Sign: Gemini
Degree: 4°44' Gemini

Current period

Retrograde station: 10 Sep 2026
Direct station: 8 Feb 2027

Neptune

Retrograde ℞

Sign: Aries
Degree: 2°07' Aries

Current period

Retrograde station: 7 Jul 2026
Direct station: 12 Dec 2026

Direct now

Mars

Direct

Sign: Leo
Degree: 17°56' Leo

Next retrograde period

Retrograde station: 10 Jan 2027
Direct station: 1 Apr 2027

Jupiter

Direct

Sign: Leo
Degree: 24°09' Leo

Next retrograde period

Retrograde station: 13 Dec 2026
Direct station: 13 Apr 2027

Pluto

Direct

Sign: Aquarius
Degree: 3°07' Aquarius

Next retrograde period

Retrograde station: 8 May 2027
Direct station: 18 Oct 2027

Astronomical data computed with Moshier ephemeris. Stations are found numerically where ecliptic speed crosses zero — not a forecast or advice, by the Aurapure team.

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Hand-coloured plate from 1660: the Earth at the centre, ringed by the band of the zodiac with its twelve signs, astronomers and angels at the edges — The zodiac in Cellarius's atlas
Andreas Cellarius, Harmonia Macrocosmica (Amsterdam, 1660), plate II: the band of the zodiac around the Earth in the Ptolemaic system.
Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

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Frequently asked questions

When is Mercury retrograde in 2026?: Mercury is retrograde three times in 2026: 26 February–20 March (Pisces), 29 June–23 July (Cancer) and 24 October–13 November (Scorpio), plus the shadow windows before and after. The exact, live dates are computed by the tool above from the ephemeris.
How long does Mercury retrograde last?: Each Mercury retrograde lasts about three weeks and happens 3–4 times a year. Counting the pre- and post-shadow periods, the full phase spans roughly 7–8 weeks.
What are the shadow periods?: They are the stretches — before the retrograde station and after the direct station — in which the planet retraces, in direct motion, the same zodiac arc it covered while retrograde. They are astronomical data, not a forecast.
How do you tell if a planet is retrograde?: From ephemeris: geocentric ecliptic speed (speed) is negative when the planet is retrograde. We do not use static lists.
Why are Sun and Moon not listed?: The Sun and Moon have no apparent retrograde motion from Earth: they are always excluded.
How precise are the station dates?: We numerically find the instant when ecliptic speed crosses zero and report each station as a calendar day (day-level precision), enough to pin the correct start and end day of the retrograde.