Retrograde Motion

Retrograde motion is the apparent backward movement of a planet in the night sky, observed from Earth. This occurs because Earth and the other planets orbit the Sun at different speeds and distances. When Earth overtakes or is overtaken by another planet in its orbit, that planet appears to temporarily reverse its usual east-to-west path against the background stars, creating the illusion of moving backward. This phenomenon is not an actual change in the planet’s motion but a visual effect caused by the relative positions and motions of Earth and the other planets in their orbits.