Miscellaneous Information
About the Inner Planets
Time it takes to circle and astrological chart (360° in circumference), which also equals the planet's orbit around the sun
Planet: Time:
Sun: 365 Earth days and spends approx. 30 days in each sign
Moon: 27 days and 7 hours and spends 2.3 to 2.5 days in each sign
Mercury: 88 Earth days—moves around the chart approx. 4 times each year and spends about 7.5 days in each sign (not including retrograde periods).
Venus: 225 Earth days and spends approx. 18.7 days in each sign (not including retrograde periods).
Mars: 687 Earth days or 1.9 years (almost two years) and spends approx. 57.3 days in each sign (not including retrograde periods).
Retrograde Periods
Sun: None
Moon: None
Mercury: Three times per year for 3 weeks per retrograde period
Venus: Retrogrades every 18 months for approx. 40 days
Mars: Retrogrades every 26 months for 10 weeks (70 days)
Number of Satellites (Moons and Asteroids)
Sun:
Moon: None, though she does go "void" as she moves from sign to sign. A void period can last from a few minutes to two days
Mercury: None
Venus: None
Mars: Two moons, Phobos and Deimos (diameter of fourteen miles and seven miles, respectively).
Degrees This Planet Moves on Average Per Day
Sun: Approx. 1°
Moon: Approx. .5° per hour, or 12° per day.
Mercury: Approx 4° per day
Venus: Approx. 1.6° per day
Mars: Approx. .5° per day, which would be a movement of 30 minutes
Consistency
Sun: Star ball of incandescent gas of average size and brightness compared to other stars.
Moon: No air and no liquid water. No weather. Landforms are a result of meteoric impact.
Mercury: Less than half the diameter of Earth. No air or water.
Venus: Covered in bright clouds of sulfuric acid. Atmospheric pressure is 90 times that of Earth. Most of the surface is covered by undulating plains.
Mars: Has a 24-hour day, a pattern of seasons, and polar ice caps. Temperatures on Mars rarely rise above freezing. Called the red planet because it is covered by red deserts. Some think Mars is the precursor of Earth and was destroyed by war.
Astrological Sign Rulership
Sun: Leo
Moon: Cancer
Mercury: Gemini and Virgo
Venus: Taurus and Libra
Mars: Aries and Scorpio (classical)