@desertdwlr: Sorry, but Mercury certainly does go retrograde.
All the planets in the solar system move from west to east, and so that is the most common motion against the fixed stars. Called “prograde”. With superior planets, when the earth goes between them and the sun, the faster earth, in overtaking them, makes them appear to move east to west, retrograde.
With inferior planets, the other planet is moving faster, but because we are looking in the other direction, again retrograde occurs when the planet and we are on the same side of the sun. When Mercury is halfway around from us, both its motion and ours makes it prograde rapidly. As it comes between us and the sun, its faster motion makes it appear to move from east to west for a few weeks.
Mercury has been visible in the evening sky this month, but it now just went into retrograde (23 Feb). It returns to prograde motion on 17 March, by which time it will be visible in the morning. But not very well in the northern hemisphere — it’s rather hard to see at any time, and the angles are good for the evening only in one’s hemisphere’s Spring, and good for the morning in one’s hemisphere’s Fall — I don’t have space here to explain that. If you’re near the equator, it can be seen on both sides every time.
By June it will be around again in the evening sky — it moves fast — and then into retrograde again on 26 June, back to prograde on 20 July.
I enjoy naked-eye astronomy, and like to follow the planets around, as you see. Of course, I know better than to believe in astrology. But I think I understand why Mercury’s going into retrograde is considered significant. If you follow my argument above, you will see that Mercury goes into retrograde just before it gets lost in the glare of the sun some 10 days before it goes between us and the sun. Now, in ancient mythology, Mercury was the messenger of the gods — he appears in the Greek myths more than any other god — and so it was doubtless thought that when Mercury disappeared from the heavens, he was coming down here to warn people of something or other. So even if you didn’t get to see him personally — no doubt some people claimed to have been so visited (when they were alone, no witnesses) — his disappearance from the sky was considered to be a sign of change and danger.
Randy B Premium Member about 11 years ago
Agreed.
Randy B Premium Member about 11 years ago
No, it’s as “real” as anything else in astrology.
randayn about 11 years ago
The stars have nothing to do with it. It’s called Murphy’s Law.
chassimmons about 11 years ago
@desertdwlr: Sorry, but Mercury certainly does go retrograde.
All the planets in the solar system move from west to east, and so that is the most common motion against the fixed stars. Called “prograde”. With superior planets, when the earth goes between them and the sun, the faster earth, in overtaking them, makes them appear to move east to west, retrograde.
With inferior planets, the other planet is moving faster, but because we are looking in the other direction, again retrograde occurs when the planet and we are on the same side of the sun. When Mercury is halfway around from us, both its motion and ours makes it prograde rapidly. As it comes between us and the sun, its faster motion makes it appear to move from east to west for a few weeks.
Mercury has been visible in the evening sky this month, but it now just went into retrograde (23 Feb). It returns to prograde motion on 17 March, by which time it will be visible in the morning. But not very well in the northern hemisphere — it’s rather hard to see at any time, and the angles are good for the evening only in one’s hemisphere’s Spring, and good for the morning in one’s hemisphere’s Fall — I don’t have space here to explain that. If you’re near the equator, it can be seen on both sides every time.
By June it will be around again in the evening sky — it moves fast — and then into retrograde again on 26 June, back to prograde on 20 July.
chassimmons about 11 years ago
I enjoy naked-eye astronomy, and like to follow the planets around, as you see. Of course, I know better than to believe in astrology. But I think I understand why Mercury’s going into retrograde is considered significant. If you follow my argument above, you will see that Mercury goes into retrograde just before it gets lost in the glare of the sun some 10 days before it goes between us and the sun. Now, in ancient mythology, Mercury was the messenger of the gods — he appears in the Greek myths more than any other god — and so it was doubtless thought that when Mercury disappeared from the heavens, he was coming down here to warn people of something or other. So even if you didn’t get to see him personally — no doubt some people claimed to have been so visited (when they were alone, no witnesses) — his disappearance from the sky was considered to be a sign of change and danger.
Say What Now‽ Premium Member about 11 years ago
chassimmons- Thanks, I love astromeny.
ForeverAllstar about 11 years ago
Jane burnt her wittle tongue that face is too cute!
bigtbear about 11 years ago
There goes her date tonight. She can’t use her tongue.
thyasyn about 11 years ago
and we won’t even think about uranus.