What is a retrograde shadow period?
The weeks before and after a retrograde when a planet crosses the same degrees it retraces: how long they last for every planet, and why Neptune never leaves the shadow.
Learn
How retrograde really works, one question at a time. Every date, degree and duration in these pages is computed from the ephemeris, never typed in.
Why do planets go retrograde?
Mars's real loop on the sky, Earth overtaking it from above the Sun, the stations where it stands still, and why every planet's loop has a different shape.