Astrology Calendar 2020
Every Mercury retrograde, full moon, new moon, and planet ingress of 2020 — computed from real planetary positions, not copied tables. All dates UTC.
2020 at a Glance
11 retrograde periods overlap 2020. By planet: Mercury three times, Venus once, Mars once, Jupiter once, Saturn once, Uranus twice, Neptune once and Pluto once. Uranus is already retrograde on January 1.
There are 13 full moons and 12 new moons in 2020 — the first new moon is on January 24 in Aquarius, the first full moon on January 10 in Cancer. Planets from the Sun to Pluto change sign 47 times in total, including 4 sign changes by the slow outer planets (Saturn into Aquarius on March 22, Saturn into Capricorn on July 2, Saturn into Aquarius on December 17 and Jupiter into Aquarius on December 20).
Mercury Retrograde 2020
Retrograde motion is apparent, not real. Seen from Earth, a planet normally drifts eastward against the background stars; for a stretch of weeks or months it seems to stop (a “station”), slide back westward, and stop again before moving forward. The planet's orbit never reverses — the effect comes from Earth and the planet circling the Sun at different speeds. Mercury and Venus appear to back up as they overtake Earth while passing between Earth and the Sun; the outer planets do so when Earth overtakes them on the inside track.
In astrological tradition, Mercury retrograde is associated with mix-ups in communication, contracts and travel, so many people double-check details and back up their work on these dates.
All Planetary Retrogrades 2020
How often a planet turns retrograde depends on how its orbit compares with Earth's. Mercury does so three or four times a year for about three weeks each; Venus roughly every 19 months for about six weeks; Mars about every 26 months for two to two and a half months. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are retrograde once a year for roughly four to five and a half months, so a period that spans New Year appears in both years' calendars.
| Planet | Retrograde | Direct again | Sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uranus | January 1already retrograde | January 11 | Taurus |
| Pluto | April 26 | October 4 | Capricorn |
| Saturn | May 12 | September 29 | Aquarius → Capricorn |
| Venus | May 14 | June 25 | Gemini |
| Jupiter | May 15 | September 13 | Capricorn |
| Neptune | June 24 | November 29 | Pisces |
| Uranus | August 16 | December 31 (into 2021) | Taurus |
| Mars | September 10 | November 14 | Aries |
Full and New Moons 2020
A new moon is the moment the Moon and the Sun share the same ecliptic longitude: the Moon's sunlit side faces away from Earth, so it is not visible. A full moon is the opposite alignment — the Moon sits 180° from the Sun, in the sign opposite the Sun's, with its whole Earth-facing side lit. One cycle from new moon to new moon (the synodic month) takes about 29.5 days, so most years have 12 full moons and some have 13. Solar eclipses can only happen at a new moon and lunar eclipses only at a full moon.
Full Moons 2020
Astrologers read full moons as culminations.
Planet Sign Changes 2020
An ingress is the moment a planet crosses from one zodiac sign into the next. The signs used here are the tropical zodiac — twelve 30° segments of the ecliptic counted from the March equinox point — so an ingress is simply the planet's geocentric longitude crossing a multiple of 30°. The Sun enters a new sign about once a month; Jupiter spends about a year in each sign, Saturn about two and a half years, and Pluto anywhere from about 12 to over 30 years because of its eccentric orbit. A planet near a boundary can cross back and forth while it is retrograde, which is why the same ingress can appear more than once in a year.
In astrology, a planet's themes are read through the sign it occupies, so an ingress marks a change of emphasis.
FAQ
When is Mercury retrograde in 2020?
Mercury is retrograde 3 times in 2020: February 18 – March 10 (in Pisces); June 19 – July 12 (in Cancer); October 15 – November 3 (in Scorpio).
How many full moons are there in 2020?
There are 13 full moons in 2020. The first is on January 10 in Cancer.
How are these dates calculated?
All dates are computed from geocentric tropical ephemeris (real planetary positions), not copied from other sites. Times are in UTC; dates near midnight may shift by one day in your timezone.