![]() Retrograde motion works a little differently for Venus and Mercury. It’s also the best time for observing a planet, since it’s at its closest point to Earth, making it look bigger and brighter. The point in time when Earth first catches up to a farther-out planet is also called opposition, and is when that planet is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. Retrograde motion is technically called “apparent retrograde motion” since it’s not an actual change in the planet’s motion through space, but rather an effect caused by our perspective from Earth. This happens when Earth overtakes a slower-moving planet in its orbit around the Sun, or is overtaken by a faster-moving planet. When we say that a planet is in retrograde it means that from the perspective of Earth, a planet’s motion across the sky goes backwards night after night compared to its usual direction for a period of time. ![]() What does it mean for a planet to be in retrograde? If you’ve seen the term “Mercury in retrograde” and aren’t sure what to make of it, here are the facts. It’s because Mercury enters into a period of retrograde orbit, which is popularly believed to have astrological significance. This isn’t because of new scientific discoveries being made, or new missions launching to study the rocky world. Three or four times a year, the planet Mercury becomes a trending topic online.
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