Jakarta –
The universe always has its secrets, one of which concerns retrograde planet. What is planetary retrograde?
Retrograde comes from the Latin word retrogradus, i.e. “retro” means backwards and “gradus” means step, so retrograde means step backwards or walking backwards.
The word decline often has a negative connotation. But it turns out that planetary retrograde is a common and regular occurrence according to the BBC Science Focus page.
In 2023 there are at least seven retrograde planets at the same time, what are they? Here’s a full explanation.
Definition of retrograde planets
As is known, the Sun is the center of the solar system in the Milky Way galaxy. So all the planets essentially move in the same direction, i.e. around the Sun.
However there is an illusory movement that can be seen from the perspective of humans on Earth. If in general the planet will move from west to east across the night sky, at certain times it will appear as if the planet is moving in reverse.
In retrograde time, the planets appear to move from east to west and across the sky. Even then, various movements from rotation to zig-zag can be created. Observers call these events retrograde planets or backward-moving planets.
In the past, the ancestors thought retrograde events were a sign of impending doom. But now scientists have concluded that this event is a common occurrence that occurs in the universe.
Processes Retrograde planet
Also reported by the same source, it is said that retrograde is actually just an illusion seen from the point of view of humans on Earth. The illusion can occur because the planets move at different speeds when they orbit the Sun.
The process is similar to overtaking a vehicle on the highway. Overtaking cars will definitely catch up with other cars and overtake them. When in front of the car being passed, the car appears to be moving backwards even though it isn’t.
Thus, when Earth’s orbit precedes another planet, say Jupiter, the Earth will overtake it from within. From an observation point on Earth, Jupiter would appear to be zigzagging across the sky, but it isn’t. This is why retrograde is often called “apparent retrograde motion” because it just looks like the planet being passed out of Earth’s orbit is moving backwards, even though it isn’t.
Retrograde usually occurs on superior planets or planets whose orbits are farther from the Sun than the Earth.
In astronomy, retrograde is also referred to as opposition, which is when a planet appears to be in the opposite direction to the Sun when viewed from Earth. This opposition occurs once a year for every planet except Mars which appears once every 26 months and occurs when the Earth passes between the planets and the Sun.
When this happens, the planet closest to Earth will appear larger and brighter. But the planets Mercury and Venus have orbits closer to the Sun than the Earth, so opposition cannot occur.
Whichever planet is closer to the Sun will most likely experience a greater retrograde than the other.
Schedule of planetary retrograde phenomenon in 2023
Here is the retrograde schedule that occurs on each planet in 2023:
1. Mercury:
- December 29, 2022 – January 18, 2023
- April 21, 2023 – May 15, 2023
- August 23, 2023 – September 15, 2023
- December 13, 2023 – January 2, 2023
2. Venus: July 23, 2023 – September 4, 2023
3. March: 30 October – 12 January 2023
4. Jupiter: September 4, 2023 – December 31, 2023
5. Saturn: June 17, 2023 – November 4, 2023
6. Uranus: August 24, 2022 – January 22, 2023 and August 29, 2023 – January 27, 2024
7. Neptune: June 30, 2023 – December 6, 2023
8. Pluto: May 1, 2023 – October 11, 2023
Explanation of the retrograde phenomenon of each planet
Mercury
Unlike Earth, which takes 12 months, Mercury takes only 88 days to orbit the Sun. Mercury experiences the shortest retrograde time compared to other planets.
Retrogrades occurring on Mercury are relatively common but sometimes overlap with other astronomical events known as transits. Transits occur when the Sun, Mercury, and Earth are in a straight line so that Mercury appears to move across the Sun like a small vinyl record.
Venus
Venus takes 225 days to orbit the Sun. Retrograde on the planet Venus occurs for 18 months which last 6 weeks.
Mars
Mars goes through a retrograde every 26 months that lasts a few weeks. As the most visible planet from Earth, retrograde Mars will look like a distinctive yellow-orange planet.
Jupiter
Jupiter retrogrades every nine months and lasts four months at a time.
Saturn
Saturn goes through a retrograde every 12 months that lasts four and a half months at a time.
Uranus and Neptune
Uranus and Neptune retrograde every 12 months and last for five months.
Pluto
Pluto is retrograde for six months. In 2023, Pluto will recede from May 1 to October 11, 2023.
So this is an explanation of retrograde planets. Bottom line, retrograde is basically just an illusion of a backwards-moving planet when viewed from Earth. Although the setback has a negative connotation, no catastrophe is possible for people on Earth.
Retrograde planet it will happen more often to planets closer to the Sun than those far away such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune to Pluto.
Watch a video “Astrobiologists say laughing gas may be a sign of life on exoplanets“
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