Typical planetary speeds
Typical planetary speeds in degrees per day, as averages, are: the Moon about 13.2, the Sun about 1.0, Mercury about 1.4 with wide variation, Venus about 1.2, Mars about 0.5, Jupiter about 0.08 and Saturn about 0.03.
What it is
These averages are close to the real motion over a long period, but each graha varies, and Mercury and Venus change speed most. Retrograde motion is an apparent reversal at which the speed passes through zero.
How it is worked out or read
The site computes each planet's position from the model, so the speed is part of the result and does not need to be set by hand.
Where it appears on this site
See fast and slow grahas and why the Moon's speed varies.
Daily motion at a glance
In round figures, the average daily motions are: Moon about 13.2 degrees, with a range of roughly 11.8 to 15.2; Sun about 1 degree, a little faster in early January and slower in early July; Mercury about 1 degree on average, up to about 2.2 at its fastest; Venus about 1 degree, up to about 1.25; Mars about 0.52 degrees, up to about 0.8; Jupiter about 0.083 degrees, or 5 minutes of arc; Saturn about 0.034 degrees, or 2 minutes; and Rahu and Ketu about 0.053 degrees backwards, or a little over 3 minutes.
Time to cross the zodiac
The time each graha takes for a full circuit follows from these speeds. The Moon takes about 27.3 days; the Sun, Mercury and Venus about a year on average, because the two inner planets travel with the Sun; Mars about 1.9 years; Jupiter about 11.9 years; Saturn about 29.5 years; and the nodes about 18.6 years, moving backwards through the signs.
How often each turns retrograde
Each of the five planets from Mercury to Saturn turns retrograde at regular intervals set by its synodic period, the time between successive alignments with the Sun as seen from the Earth. Mercury's synodic period is about 116 days, so it turns retrograde about three times a year, for roughly three weeks each time. Venus's is about 584 days, giving a retrograde period of about six weeks every nineteen months. Mars's is about 780 days, giving about two to two and a half months of retrograde motion every twenty-six months. Jupiter and Saturn, with synodic periods of about 399 and 378 days, are retrograde for about four and four and a half months every year.
Distance from the Sun
Mercury and Venus can never be far from the Sun in the sky. Mercury's greatest elongation is about 28 degrees, so it is always in the Sun's sign or one of the two neighbouring signs. Venus's greatest elongation is about 47 degrees, so it is always within two signs of the Sun. These limits are useful checks: a chart that places Mercury four signs from the Sun has been made in error.
Using the table
A reader can use these figures to estimate positions roughly, to check a chart for obvious mistakes, or to judge how long a transit will last. For exact positions, use the birth chart tool, which computes them from an astronomical model rather than from average speeds.