2024 at a Glance
11 retrograde periods overlap 2024. By planet: Mercury four times, Mars once, Jupiter once, Saturn once, Uranus twice, Neptune once and Pluto once. Mercury and Uranus are already retrograde on January 1. Venus has no retrograde period in 2024.
There are 12 full moons and 13 new moons in 2024 — the first new moon is on January 11 in Capricorn, the first full moon on January 25 in Leo. Planets from the Sun to Pluto change sign 52 times in total, including 4 sign changes by the slow outer planets (Pluto into Aquarius on January 21, Jupiter into Gemini on May 26, Pluto into Capricorn on September 2 and Pluto into Aquarius on November 20).
Mercury Retrograde 2024
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.
January 1 – January 2
in Sagittarius
April 2 – April 25
in Aries
November 27 – December 15
in Sagittarius
All Planetary Retrogrades 2024
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 27 | Taurus |
| Pluto | May 3 | October 12 | Aquarius → Capricorn |
| Saturn | June 30 | November 15 | Pisces |
| Neptune | July 3 | December 7 | Pisces |
| Uranus | September 2 | December 31 (into 2025) | Taurus |
| Jupiter | October 10 | December 31 (into 2025) | Gemini |
| Mars | December 7 | December 31 (into 2025) | Leo |
Full and New Moons 2024
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 2024
Astrologers read full moons as culminations.
Planet Sign Changes 2024
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 2024?
Mercury is retrograde 4 times in 2024: January 1 – January 2 (in Sagittarius); April 2 – April 25 (in Aries); August 6 – August 28 (in Virgo); November 27 – December 15 (in Sagittarius).
How many full moons are there in 2024?
There are 12 full moons in 2024. The first is on January 25 in Leo.
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.