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Mercury through Pluto · geocentric tropical motion

Retrograde planet dates 2028

This dated tracker lists every calculated retrograde and direct station in 2028. The 2028 timeline contains 17 direction-change markers. Retrograde means apparent backward motion as viewed from Earth; it does not mean a planet physically reverses or guarantees an event.

Live statusArchiveComplete year
Direction changes17Stations in 2028
Tracked planets8Mercury to Pluto
JU First direction changeJupiter stations retrograde

The complete 2028 map

Every retrograde, on one line

Colored bands show the period between station retrograde and station direct. Hover or focus a band to reveal its exact dates.

MA
Mars0 days shown

Bars clipped at January 1 or December 31 continue outside the displayed year. Calculated station timestamps are listed below.

Calculated UTC timestamps

17 planetary stations

Station retrograde begins a backward-looking interval; station direct closes it. The physical orbit never reverses.

  1. JU

    Motion turns inward

    Jupiter stations retrograde

    Growth, belief, and perspective · January 12, 2028

    Rx
  2. ME

    Motion turns inward

    Mercury stations retrograde

    Communication, plans, and information · January 24, 2028

    Rx
  3. UR

    Forward motion resumes

    Uranus stations direct

    Change, independence, and disruption · February 12, 2028

    Direct
  4. ME

    Forward motion resumes

    Mercury stations direct

    Communication, plans, and information · February 14, 2028

    Direct
  5. PL

    Motion turns inward

    Pluto stations retrograde

    Power, endings, and deep revision · May 9, 2028

    Rx
  6. VE

    Motion turns inward

    Venus stations retrograde

    Values, relationships, and resources · May 10, 2028

    Rx
  7. JU

    Forward motion resumes

    Jupiter stations direct

    Growth, belief, and perspective · May 13, 2028

    Direct
  8. ME

    Motion turns inward

    Mercury stations retrograde

    Communication, plans, and information · May 21, 2028

    Rx
  9. ME

    Forward motion resumes

    Mercury stations direct

    Communication, plans, and information · June 14, 2028

    Direct
  10. VE

    Forward motion resumes

    Venus stations direct

    Values, relationships, and resources · June 22, 2028

    Direct
  11. NE

    Motion turns inward

    Neptune stations retrograde

    Imagination, ideals, and uncertainty · July 11, 2028

    Rx
  12. SA

    Motion turns inward

    Saturn stations retrograde

    Structure, duty, and long-term limits · August 22, 2028

    Rx
  13. UR

    Motion turns inward

    Uranus stations retrograde

    Change, independence, and disruption · September 18, 2028

    Rx
  14. ME

    Motion turns inward

    Mercury stations retrograde

    Communication, plans, and information · September 19, 2028

    Rx
  15. ME

    Forward motion resumes

    Mercury stations direct

    Communication, plans, and information · October 11, 2028

    Direct
  16. PL

    Forward motion resumes

    Pluto stations direct

    Power, endings, and deep revision · October 18, 2028

    Direct
  17. NE

    Forward motion resumes

    Neptune stations direct

    Imagination, ideals, and uncertainty · December 16, 2028

    Direct

What retrograde actually means

A change in perspective, not a planet reversing.

Planets continue moving forward in their orbits. From Earth, relative speeds and geometry can make a planet’s position against the zodiac temporarily decrease—the same kind of visual effect that makes a slower train seem to move backward when your train passes it.

Astronomical fact: the apparent direction and station time can be calculated. Astrological interpretation: themes such as review or revision are symbolic and cannot guarantee an outcome. There is no scientific evidence that Mercury retrograde causes devices or communication to fail.

Transparent calculation

Dates with a method you can audit.

The server compares each planet’s apparent geocentric tropical longitude immediately around a sample. When the direction changes, it narrows the crossing by binary search and reports the station in UTC. That is why a station has a precise timestamp rather than a vague whole-day label.

Use today’s sky to inspect every current longitude, or layer these collective periods over your own chart with the transit calendar.

Editorial review byMyMysticDay Editorial TeamEditorial standards reviewer

The personal layer

A retrograde becomes personal only when it touches your chart.

The public tracker shows one sky for everyone. Your transit calendar shows which natal degrees and houses those periods actually cross.

See my personal transitsOpen the Moon calendar

Clear answers

Frequently asked questions

What planets are retrograde right now?
This is a dated 2028 tracker; use the evergreen retrograde page for the live current status. The tracker covers Mercury through Pluto and recalculates apparent direction from planetary longitude.
What does retrograde mean?
Retrograde is apparent backward motion against the zodiac as viewed from Earth. The planet does not reverse its orbit. Relative orbital speeds and viewing geometry make its longitude temporarily decrease, much like a slower train can appear to move backward when viewed from a faster one.
What are the retrograde dates for 2028?
The complete timeline above lists every calculated retrograde period and all 2028 station dates for Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. There are 17 direction-change markers inside the year.
What is the difference between station retrograde and station direct?
Station retrograde is the transition from increasing to decreasing apparent zodiac longitude. Station direct is the transition back to increasing longitude. Motion is slowest near both stations, and MyMysticDay refines the crossing from adjacent time samples rather than assigning the entire retrograde period to one generic label.
Why do retrograde dates differ between websites?
Differences usually come from time zones, rounding, geocentric versus heliocentric coordinates, tropical versus sidereal reference systems, or the threshold used to call a station. This tracker uses geocentric tropical longitude, UTC, and a centered longitude comparison around each instant; those choices are stated so the result can be checked.
Is a retrograde period always negative?
No. In astrology, retrogrades are traditionally used as review periods for the topics associated with a planet, but “negative” is not a calculated property and no planet can make an outcome inevitable. The colored bars show direction and duration, not good or bad luck.
Does Mercury retrograde cause technology or communication problems?
There is no scientific evidence that Mercury’s apparent retrograde motion causes devices to fail or messages to be misunderstood. Astrology uses the period symbolically to prompt review of communication, information, and plans. Practical checks can be useful; attributing every ordinary problem to a planet is not evidence.

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