IsMercuryCurrentlyInRetrograde

A quick python script to know if you can use "mercury is in retrograde" as an excuse in your life.

Install

virtualenv env
source env/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Run

./isMercuryInRetrograde.py

Spoiler

Brace yourselves. Something is wrong in 2025 and 2032, fix ongoing

Notes

Should base retrograde calculation on this: https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/249493/mathematically-calculate-if-a-planet-is-in-retrograde

Master branch use this, its buggy but need it to test if results diverged too much for the fix on 2020-only branch: https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/18832/mathematically-calculate-if-a-planet-is-in-retrograde?rq=1

2020-only use the following logic:
Retrograde motion appear when inner planet go through an inferior conjunction.
Meaning going from its Maximum Estern Elongation to the Maximum Western Elongation

UPDATE 10/23/20:
We are not going to use Maximum Elongation anymore since the retrograde doesn't start at the East Maximum Elongation, but some days before the Inferior Conjunction. The retrograde does occur when the inner planet is going through the East to the West max Elongation but we will not get accurate result.
And I'm a bit stuck on finding if it's a East or West Max elongation in a pretty way.

Progress (2020-only branch)

| Subject | Progress |
| Elongation | DONE |
| Maximum Elongation | DONE |
| E/W Elongation | ONGOING |
| Retrograde | ONGOING |
| Parsable output | NOPE |
| Astro Sign | NOPE |

Next todo:

• Argparse
• Answer the question bro
• Find in which Astro sign, mercury is retrograding to