Jupiter and Saturn go retrograde 🪐 This video explains the apparent retrograde motion of the outer planets using Jupiter and Saturn as examples. Saturn goes retrograde for about 4.5 months every year. Jupiter also moves “backwards” for approximately 4 months annually. 📖 Retrograde motion is an optical illusion caused by differences in the planets’ orbital speeds. When a planet seems to reverse its direction in the sky, it’s called retrograde motion (from the Latin word retrogradus – "going bac

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Planets usually move across our night sky from west to east relative to the background stars. This steady motion is a result of their orbits around the Sun. But every so often, a planet like Mars appears to hit the brakes, reverse direction, and move backward - a puzzling motion known as retrograde. This animation breaks down the mystery behind retrograde motion, focusing specifically on Mars. You'll see how the motion of Earth and Mars in their respective orbits creates the illusion of Mars loo

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Mars sometimes appears to move backward in the night sky due to retrograde motion, an optical illusion. This happens when faster-orbiting Earth overtakes Mars. As Earth passes, Mars seems to slow, stop, and move westward, although it's still moving forward in space. This "backward" motion occurs roughly every 26 months. The last one started on December 6, 2024 and finished on February 23, 2025. The next one is from January 25, 2027 to April 7, 2027. Retrograde motion puzzled ancient astronomers,