Year transit calendar
Mars Transit 2018 | Gochar Dates
Exact rashi entry and exit timings for Mars in 2018. Sidereal Lahiri gochar for planning and study.
Mars changes sign 5 times in 2018, about every 73 days. It starts the year in Libra and ends it in Pisces.
The exact times are in the table below.
New Delhi · Ayanamsa (Lahiri) · Rahu/Ketu: true lunar nodes
| enters | Time |
|---|---|
| Scorpiofrom Libra | |
| Sagittariusfrom Scorpio | |
| Capricornfrom Sagittarius | |
| Aquariusfrom Capricorn | |
| Piscesfrom Aquarius |
Mars transit 2018: key points
- In 2018, Mars changes sign 5 times. The first ingress is on Wednesday, 17 January 2018, from Libra to Scorpio, and the last is on Sunday, 23 December 2018, into Pisces.
- The longest stay this year is in Capricorn, about 188 days.
- The shortest complete stay is in Aquarius, about 47 days.
Mars in 2018: time spent in each sign
| Sign | From | Until | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Libra | 1 January (from last year) | Wednesday, 17 January 2018 | 16 |
| Scorpio | Wednesday, 17 January 2018 | Wednesday, 7 March 2018 | 50 |
| Sagittarius | Wednesday, 7 March 2018 | Wednesday, 2 May 2018 | 56 |
| Capricorn | Wednesday, 2 May 2018 | Tuesday, 6 November 2018 | 188 |
| Aquarius | Tuesday, 6 November 2018 | Sunday, 23 December 2018 | 47 |
| Pisces | Sunday, 23 December 2018 | Continues after the year | 9 |
Day counts cover the calendar year only; a stay that spans the year boundary lasts longer in total.
How to read Mars transits
Mars stays in a sign for about 45 to 60 days and takes roughly 22 months to circle the zodiac. Its retrograde phase, about every two years, lengthens its stay in one sign.
Mars represents energy, courage, property, siblings and conflict. Its transit is read for drive, disputes, land matters and physical stamina.
Mars is traditionally considered most helpful in the 3rd, 6th and 11th houses from the Moon, and more demanding elsewhere, so note which of your houses its sign corresponds to.
These Mars gochar dates for 2018 use Lahiri ayanamsa and true lunar nodes. For dasha–transit interpretation relative to a birth chart, book a personal reading.
Planet Transit FAQ
How Vedic gochar timings are calculated and how to read this table.
What is planetary transit (gochar) in Vedic astrology?
Gochar is the current movement of the Navagraha through the sidereal zodiac. When a planet crosses into a new rashi, that exact local datetime is the transit (ingress) timing used for timing analysis.
Which ayanamsa do you use?
All positions use the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa — the same system as our daily Panchang — so Sun and Moon signs stay consistent across tools.
Does my city change planet positions?
Geocentric sidereal longitudes are the same worldwide at a given UTC instant. Your city only converts that instant into local clock time (with DST when applicable).
Are Rahu and Ketu mean or true nodes?
We use true lunar nodes for Rahu and Ketu. Ketu is always opposite Rahu (180° apart).
How accurate are these timings?
Ingress times are computed with modern astronomical models and refined to about one second. Outer planets usually agree with major panchangs within minutes; Moon and nodes can differ slightly between softwares. Use them for planning; verify ritual-critical muhurta separately if needed.