{"id":10650,"date":"2024-10-28T18:36:24","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T16:36:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uni-mag.gr\/?p=10650"},"modified":"2024-10-28T18:36:24","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T16:36:24","slug":"what-are-they-retrograde-planets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uni-mag.gr\/en\/what-are-they-retrograde-planets\/","title":{"rendered":"WHAT ARE THEY? RETROGRADE PLANETS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n

It’s time to put Mercury back on track! What does it mean when we say a planet is in retrograde, and how does it affect our lives?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

There was a time, somewhere before the Renaissance, when the words for astronomy and astrology were almost synonymous. The ancient Greeks, Mesopotamians, ancient Chinese, and other peoples attributed natural phenomena to divine powers and celestial signs to explain weather and natural events. It’s like saying today, “Mercury was in retrograde, and that’s why the Pharaoh suffered another wound.” What was really happening? <\/p>\n\n

Many kings had a trusted advisor by their side, an astrologer who read the stars and the movements of the planets. As he measured the distances traveled by comets, he would also make predictions about the kingdom\u2019s upcoming war and influence political decisions\u2014he couldn\u2019t afford to lose his job. Thus, for a time, sciences and pseudosciences in various fields walked side by side. By the 19th century, science and logic were clearly separated from religion and supernatural phenomena, with an emphasis placed on experiments and the scientific method. <\/p>\n\n

And what about retrograde Mercury? In today’s human culture, pseudosciences and belief in the unexplained are still popular. <\/p>\n\n

The phenomenon of a planet being in retrograde is an optical illusion.<\/strong> Several times a year, when observing Mercury from Earth, it *appears* to change direction, moving backward. Why does this happen? The two planets have different orbital speeds around the Sun, and Mercury is closer. So, sometimes Earth “overtakes” Mercury\u2014this is what we’d see if we weren’t on Earth. It seems like Mercury is moving backward, a phenomenon that occurs to some extent with all planets. So, in the end, Mercury isn’t going retrograde! It remains steady in its orbit! <\/p>\n\n

And what should we do or avoid when this happens? …uh, lots of water and fruits. But then again, those are needed every day of the year! <\/p>\n\n

Do the other planets go retrograde too? Yes, indeed! Venus is not expected to go retrograde this year, but it was last year when its relative motion with Earth created this optical phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n

Does Earth go retrograde? From the asteroid belt, the girls 431 Nefeli and 98 Ianthi can tell you all about that! <\/p>\n\n

In this BBC link, you can play with an animation and see the retrograde pattern of our direct-moving planet. https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/crg7yg4mknxo<\/a> Our article was inspired by this BBC advertisement! And here is an explanatory video:<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n
\n