Jupiter Retrograde, December 2026 to April 2027: The Exact Dates, Calculated

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Jupiter goes retrograde on 14 December 2026 and stations direct on 14 April 2027 — a span of exactly four months. We calculated both dates ourselves from planetary position data, the same engine used for every birth chart on this site.

Why Jupiter's retrograde looks so different from Mercury's

Mercury retrogrades three to four times a year for about three weeks each time. Jupiter, orbiting much farther from the Sun and moving far more slowly, retrogrades only once a year — but for roughly a third of the year. This is the same optical effect as Mercury's (Earth passing a slower, more distant planet makes it appear to move backward), just stretched over a much longer orbit.

What we do and do not calculate

We give you the date Jupiter's ecliptic longitude stops advancing and starts retreating, and the date it resumes forward motion — both computed directly from ephemeris data, not copied from a published calendar. We do not attach outcome predictions ("good luck pauses," "expansion slows") — those are traditions layered on top of the astronomy, not something the calculation itself tells you.

• See what's happening in your own birth chart right now — calculated from your birth date, time and place
• Mercury retrograde, October–November 2026