from March 30 to April 23
Stops and turns back on March 30 at 21:47, at 24°21' Aries
Moves forward again on April 23 at 11:03, at 12°53' Aries
Shadow: from March 17 to May 11; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Retrogrades
Retrograde planets in 2011
In 2011, Mercury is retrograde 3 times: from March 30 to April 23, from August 3 to August 26, from November 24 to December 14. Venus does not go retrograde this year. Mars does not go retrograde this year. London time.
Mercury
from August 3 to August 26
Stops and turns back on August 3 at 04:50, at 1°12' Virgo
Moves forward again on August 26 at 23:02, at 18°41' Leo
Shadow: from July 15 to September 10; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
from November 24 to December 14
Stops and turns back on November 24 at 07:19, at 20°07' Sagittarius
Moves forward again on December 14 at 01:42, at 3°51' Sagittarius
Shadow: from November 5 to January 1, 2012; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Venus
No retrograde this year.
Mars
No retrograde this year.
Jupiter
from August 30 to December 25
Stops and turns back on August 30 at 10:17, at 10°21' Taurus
Moves forward again on December 25 at 22:07, at 0°21' Taurus
Saturn
from January 26 to June 13
Stops and turns back on January 26 at 06:09, at 17°13' Libra
Moves forward again on June 13 at 04:51, at 10°26' Libra
Uranus
from July 10 to December 10
Stops and turns back on July 10 at 01:34, at 4°33' Aries
Moves forward again on December 10 at 07:04, at 0°38' Aries
Neptune
from June 3 to November 9
Stops and turns back on June 3 at 08:27, at 0°55' Pisces
Moves forward again on November 9 at 18:53, at 28°08' Aquarius
Pluto
from April 9 to September 16
Stops and turns back on April 9 at 09:50, at 7°30' Capricorn
Moves forward again on September 16 at 19:23, at 4°53' Capricorn
Frequently asked questions
When is Mercury retrograde in 2011?
In 2011, Mercury is retrograde 3 times: from March 30 to April 23, from August 3 to August 26, from November 24 to December 14. London time.
Is Venus retrograde in 2011?
Venus does not go retrograde this year.
Is Mars retrograde in 2011?
Mars does not go retrograde this year.
What it is
A planet never moves backwards. But Earth and the planet orbit the Sun at different speeds: when one overtakes the other, the planet, seen from here, seems to slow down, stop, back up for a few weeks, then move forward again. It's a perspective effect, regular and predictable centuries in advance.
In astrology, a retrograde planet invites you to go back over what it stands for: for Mercury, the planet of communication, it's a time to reread, review and repair rather than start something new. It's a symbolic reading: nothing proves that Mercury retrograde makes devices break down, but the advice to reread before you hit send always helps.
The shadow, for Mercury, Venus and Mars: the planet covers the same degrees three times, moving forward, backward, then forward again. Some astrologers already see the retrograde's theme in the shadow: a build-up before, a wrap-up after.
How it is calculated
A station is the moment the planet seems to stop in the sky, before backing up or moving forward again. We look for it day by day, then refine it to the second with the Swiss Ephemeris (NASA ephemerides); the dates are checked against a second, independent calculation (Skyfield).