Most planets, including Earth, rotate counterclockwise when seen from above the Sun’s north pole. But Venus and Uranus are different. Both spin clockwise, a rare motion called retrograde rotation. NASA confirms these unusual spins. Venus’s Sun rises in the west and sets in the east. One day on Venus is longer than its year! This strange rotation might be due to huge collisions or gravity effects early in its life. It also causes Venus’s extreme heat and thick atmosphere. Uranus’s rotation is even stranger. It spins clockwise but also lies on its side. This tilt means each pole experiences decades of sunlight and harsh seasons. Scientists believe giant impacts caused Uranus’s sideways spin and retrograde rotation. Can planets change their spins? Yes. Early solar system collisions could flip or slow a planet’s spin. Now, changes are tiny and slow, happening over millions of years from gravity pull of moons and other planets. Why does this matter? Knowing about retrograde rotation helps scientists understand how planets form and how violent the early solar system was. It also helps compare our planets with those in other star systems. Venus and Uranus remind us space is full of surprises, shaking up what we think is normal.