Sky now

The sky, right now

Today the Moon is in Scorpio.

Above the horizon where you are right now: Mars, Jupiter and Uranus.

Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune look like they're moving backwards (FootnoteRetrogradeWhen a planet appears to move backwards across the sky. A time to review rather than rush ahead.Read more →). They aren't really: it's how they look from the moving Earth. The slow, far-off planets do this for months every year, so several at once is normal.

AndromedaEagleRamCharioteerHerdsmanGreat DogCassiopeiaCentaurWhaleSwanEridanusTwinsLionOrionPegasusPerseusArcherScorpionBullBig DipperVirginSunMoonMercuryVenusMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePlutoNESW✦ Polaris

Tap a planet or a bright star to see what it is.

How to read this map

Everything inside the gold line is above you. The dashed line is the path the Sun, Moon and planets travel (the FootnoteZodiacThe band of sky the Sun, Moon and planets travel through, divided into twelve equal signs.Read more →). The map turns with the real sky.

Planisphere for 40°N · stars to magnitude 4.8

Moon calendar

How much of the Moon is lit each night this month, and which sign it's in.

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November 1963

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Tap a day to see the Moon's sign and mood.

Times are in GMT.

New and full Moons

The dark Moon and the full Moon this month, and what each is good for. Add your birth details to see which part of your life each one lights up.

Buddhist holy days, set by the Moon

Many Buddhists keep the new, full and half Moons as holy days for extra quiet and practice. In the Theravada tradition they are called uposatha. Exact days vary by country and calendar.

Full Moon

FootnoteFull MoonWhen the Moon is opposite the Sun and fully lit. A time when things come to a head.Read more → in Taurus

Fri 1 Nov, 13:55

A time to finish, release and take stock.

New Moon

FootnoteNew MoonWhen the Moon sits between Earth and Sun and can't be seen. Traditionally a time to begin things.Read more → in Scorpio

Sat 16 Nov, 06:51

A time to set intentions and start small.

Full Moon

FootnoteFull MoonWhen the Moon is opposite the Sun and fully lit. A time when things come to a head.Read more → in Gemini

Sat 30 Nov, 23:54

A time to finish, release and take stock.

Retrogrades in 1963

When each planet looks like it's moving backwards this year.

See the dates

A retrograde is when a planet looks like it's moving backwards. The planet isn't reversing. From Earth, it only looks that way for a while, the way a slower car seems to slip backwards as you pass it.

Uranus
Pluto
Mars
Mercury
Neptune
Saturn
Jupiter

Solid bars are retrograde now, outlined ones are still to come, grey ones are over. Hover, tap or tab to a bar.

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were found after ancient astrology was written down, so their meanings come from modern tradition. Each outer planet is retrograde for about five months every year, so their retrogrades are gentle background, not headline events.

Earlier this year

Uranus retrograde

11 Dec 1962 to 9 May 1963 · runs past 1963, so the bar is cut at the edge

Backs up from Virgo 5°18′ to Virgo 1°08′.

What it can mean

Change works on the inside before it shows on the outside.

Uranus is a modern planet, linked by astrologers with change, freedom and surprise. Its retrograde is read as a time when the urge to break free turns inward. People tend to reflect on where they feel stuck and what they'd change if they could.

All dates as a list
  • Uranus retrograde, 11 Dec 1962 to 9 May
  • Pluto retrograde, 14 Dec 1962 to 21 May
  • Mars retrograde, 26 Dec 1962 to 16 Mar
  • Mercury retrograde, 11 Jan to 1 Feb
  • Neptune retrograde, 16 Feb to 25 Jul
  • Mercury retrograde, 6 May to 30 May
  • Saturn retrograde, 3 Jun to 21 Oct
  • Jupiter retrograde, 9 Aug to 5 Dec
  • Mercury retrograde, 6 Sept to 29 Sept
  • Uranus retrograde, 16 Dec to 13 May 1964
  • Pluto retrograde, 17 Dec to 22 May 1964
  • Mercury retrograde, 26 Dec to 15 Jan 1964