Retrograde dates for 1956

These are the exact dates every planet from Mercury to Pluto turns retrograde and turns direct in 1956, in Universal Time. Mercury is retrograde from 18 January 1956 to 8 February 1956, and from 14 May 1956 to 7 June 1956, and from 13 September 1956 to 5 October 1956.

• Mercury retrograde18 January to 8 February, 14 May to 7 June, 13 September to 5 October
• Venus retrograde31 May to 13 July
• Mars retrograde10 August to 10 October
• Jupiter retrograde18 December 1955 to 17 April
• Saturn retrograde12 March to 30 July
• Uranus retrograde8 November 1955 to 5 April, 12 November to 10 April 1957

Mercury retrograde in 1956

Mercury is retrograde in 3 periods touching 1956.

• Wednesday 18 January 195615:40 UTMercury turns retrograde at 13°26′ Aquarius
• Wednesday 8 February 195612:13 UTMercury turns direct at 27°34′ Capricorn
• Monday 14 May 195611:58 UTMercury turns retrograde at 8°52′ Gemini
• Thursday 7 June 195608:41 UTMercury turns direct at 0°13′ Gemini
• Thursday 13 September 195613:56 UTMercury turns retrograde at 12°10′ Libra
• Friday 5 October 195614:17 UTMercury turns direct at 27°16′ Virgo

Venus retrograde in 1956

Venus is retrograde in 1 period touching 1956.

• Thursday 31 May 195618:32 UTVenus turns retrograde at 9°01′ Cancer
• Friday 13 July 195621:04 UTVenus turns direct at 22°30′ Gemini

Mars retrograde in 1956

Mars is retrograde in 1 period touching 1956.

• Friday 10 August 195617:56 UTMars turns retrograde at 23°40′ Pisces
• Wednesday 10 October 195611:07 UTMars turns direct at 13°09′ Pisces

Jupiter retrograde in 1956

Jupiter is retrograde in 1 period touching 1956.

• Before 1956Jupiter turned retrograde on 18 December 1955 and is still retrograde on 1 January 1956
• Tuesday 17 April 195613:00 UTJupiter turns direct at 21°29′ Leo

Saturn retrograde in 1956

Saturn is retrograde in 1 period touching 1956.

• Monday 12 March 195603:29 UTSaturn turns retrograde at 2°48′ Sagittarius
• Monday 30 July 195618:34 UTSaturn turns direct at 26°09′ Scorpio

Uranus retrograde in 1956

Uranus is retrograde in 2 periods touching 1956.

• Before 1956Uranus turned retrograde on 8 November 1955 and is still retrograde on 1 January 1956
• Thursday 5 April 195611:13 UTUranus turns direct at 28°12′ Cancer
• Monday 12 November 195606:50 UTUranus turns retrograde at 6°59′ Leo
• After 1956Uranus turns direct on 10 April 1957 and is still retrograde on 31 December 1956

Neptune retrograde in 1956

Neptune is retrograde in 1 period touching 1956.

• Wednesday 1 February 195606:17 UTNeptune turns retrograde at 0°25′ Scorpio
• Monday 9 July 195606:10 UTNeptune turns direct at 27°38′ Libra

Pluto retrograde in 1956

Pluto is retrograde in 2 periods touching 1956.

• Before 1956Pluto turned retrograde on 30 November 1955 and is still retrograde on 1 January 1956
• Monday 7 May 195614:21 UTPluto turns direct at 26°05′ Leo
• Sunday 2 December 195600:13 UTPluto turns retrograde at 0°26′ Virgo
• After 1956Pluto turns direct on 9 May 1957 and is still retrograde on 31 December 1956

What “retrograde” means here

A planet is retrograde when its ecliptic longitude, seen from the Earth, is decreasing: it appears to move backwards against the stars. A station is the moment it appears to stop before changing direction. The Sun and the Moon never turn retrograde. Each date above is a station computed to the minute.

What these dates are worth

Every time on this page is computed by the engine that casts the charts, not copied from a table. All times are Universal Time (UT), so a date can fall a day either side of your own clock: add your time zone's offset to get local time. The Moon is checked against NASA and JPL values and the planets against published station and ingress dates; the table of what Umbriel checks, and how close it comes is public. Umbriel is for reflection and self-understanding, not prediction.

Moon phases 1956 · Ephemeris 1956 · Retrograde calendar · Sky events ahead