Saturn Retrograde 2026 - Dates & Timings

Once a year. Saturn reverses.

Saturn orbits far outside Earth's path. Its year is 29.5 Earth years—almost three decades per lap. Earth orbits faster, completing its circuit in 365 days. So every year, Earth catches up with Saturn and passes it. During that pass, Saturn appears to slow, stop, move backward through the zodiac for about 140 days, then resume forward motion.

This is orbital mechanics at work. When the faster inner planet (Earth) overtakes the slower outer planet (Saturn), relative motion creates the retrograde effect. Not magic. Pure geometry.

Ancient astronomers tracked this pattern carefully. They called it vakragati—curved or indirect motion. Classical texts like Sūrya Siddhānta provide precise mathematical models: retrograde begins when geocentric longitudinal velocity becomes negative.

Saturn moves slowly. Its forward motion averages just 2 minutes of arc per day. During retrograde, it backs up about half that speed. The ancients calculated this without instruments. Multi-generational observation. Patient record-keeping. The math still works.

Saturn retrogrades once per year, every year. Each period lasts about 4.5 months—the longest retrograde among the traditional visible planets. The retrograde period shifts forward by about two weeks annually, cycling through the zodiac over Saturn's 29.5-year orbit.

Because Saturn moves so slowly—spending about 2.5 years in each zodiac sign—its retrograde periods concentrate their effects. A retrograde in Capricorn, for instance, affects Capricorn-related themes for months. The impact accumulates.

Saturn is the slowest of the traditional seven planets visible to the naked eye. Ancient observers noticed it took nearly 30 years to complete one zodiac circuit. They called it "Shani" (slow-moving) or "Manda" (sluggish). The name fits the motion.

Per classical astronomy, Saturn's retrograde begins when its apparent geocentric speed becomes negative. Forward motion stops. Backward motion begins. The planet's longitudinal velocity crosses zero—that's the exact moment.

Modern ephemeris calculations use NASA JPL planetary data (DE440/441 series), the same precision that navigated spacecraft past Saturn's rings. Apply Lahiri Ayanāṃśa to align with the sidereal zodiac used in Jyotish. The results match ancient observations within seconds.

Cross-reference historical records from multiple cultures. Babylonian astronomical diaries. Greek planetary tables. Indian Siddhāntas. Islamic zīj texts. They all converge. Saturn's retrograde pattern has remained stable across millennia.