Venus Retrograde 2009
Written by Fraser Cain
Retrograde motion
The planets follow the same direction in the sky, as they move from night to night. But sometimes it appears that the planets stop in their motion and then go backwards for a few days before going forwards again. Of course, the planets aren't actually going backwards in their orbit. It's an illusion that comes from the changing positions in our orbit.
Earth and Venus are taking elliptical orbits around the Sun. Because Venus is closer in to the Sun that Earth, it catches up with us and then passes us in relation to the Sun. When you view Venus in the sky, it appears to be going backwards and then forwards again depending on the relationship between our orbits.
Here are the times that Venus will go into retrograde in 2009.
Venus will enter retrograde motion on March 6, 2009 and then move back to direct motion on April 17, 2009.
We have written many articles about Venus for Universe Today. Here's an article about Venus' wet, volcanic past, and here's an article about how Venus might have had continents and oceans in the ancient past.
Want more information on Venus? Here's a link to NASA's World Book on Venus, and here's NASA's Solar System Exploration Guide to Venus.
We have recorded a whole episode of Astronomy Cast that's only about planet Venus. Listen to it here, Episode 50: Venus.
Filed under: Astronomy
