Station

A station is the exact moment a planet's apparent speed crosses zero, the hinge between moving forward and moving backward, or back to forward again. There are always two: the station retrograde, where the planet appears to stop and begin moving backward, and the station direct, where it stops again and resumes its normal forward motion. Around a station a planet appears to sit almost still against the background stars for days at a time, which is part of why the days right around a station often get more attention than the weeks of ordinary retrograde motion in between. A station's exact sign and degree matter on their own, independent of the retrograde period it opens or closes, since the planet can spend real time parked on one specific spot.