Nodal precession is the precession of the orbital plane of a satellite around the rotational axis of an astronomical body such as Earth. This precession is due to the non-spherical nature of a rotating body, which creates a non-uniform gravitational field. The following discussion relates to low Earth orbit of artificial satellites, which have no measurable effect on the motion of Earth. The nodal precession of more massive, natural satellites like the Moon is more complex.
Around a spherical body, an orbital plane would remain fixed in space around the gravitational primary body. However, most bodies rotate, which causes an equatorial bulge. This bulge creates a gravitational effect that causes orbits to precess around the rotational axis of the primary body.
The direction of precession is opposite the direction of revolution. For a typical prograde orbit around Earth (that is, in the direction of primary body's rotation), the longitude of the ascending node decreases, that is the node precesses westward. If the orbit is retrograde, this increases the longitude of the ascending node, that is the node precesses eastward. This nodal precession enables heliosynchronous orbits to maintain a nearly constant angle relative to the Sun.
Nodalprecession is the precession of the orbital plane of a satellite around the rotational axis of an astronomical body such as Earth. This precession...
precession followed by spinning objects. In addition, the orbit of the Moon undergoes two important types of precessional motion: apsidal and nodal....
Precession is a change in the orientation of the rotational axis of a rotating body. In an appropriate reference frame it can be defined as a change in...
ecliptic, occur during a comparatively brief period once every nodal period. The precession of the lunar nodes has a small effect on Earth's tides – atmospheric...
orbital precession may refer to: Apsidal precession, where the major axis of an elliptical orbit cycles its orientation within its orbital plane. Nodal precession...
to detect the precession. The effect of general relativity can be detectable in timescales of about 10 years or less. Nodalprecession is rotation of...
In celestial mechanics, apsidal precession (or apsidal advance) is the precession (gradual rotation) of the line connecting the apsides (line of apsides)...
eastward by 360°. The Moon's apsidal precession is distinct from the nodalprecession of its orbital plane and axial precession of the moon itself. The mean inclination...
to Earth's axial precession, altering Earth's axial tilt over a very long period relative to the direction of lunar nodalprecession. Put simply, the...
orbital periods that are a fraction of a synodic day. Combined with a nodalprecession, this allows them to always pass over a location on Earth's surface...
stable (minimally time-varying) orbit elements. These orbits use the nodalprecession effect to shift the orbit so the ground track coincides with that of...
the equinoxes. Black moon Blue moon Libration Lunar precession Lunar standstill Nodalprecession Orbit of the Moon Orbital node Lunar node StarChild Question...
intersect (both the length of Saturn's year and the 18.6-Earth-year nodalprecession period of the Moon's orbit influence the periodicity). Statistics of...
tilt of roughly 28°. Triton's orbit also experiences rapid precession, with a nodalprecession period of 637 ± 40 years. The combination of these factors...
bodies Flyby (spaceflight) Lunar orbit rendezvous Mars orbit rendezvous Nodalprecession of orbits around the Earth's axis Path-constrained rendezvous – the...
{\displaystyle {\dot {\Omega }}_{s}} and n s {\displaystyle n_{s}} are the nodalprecession rate and mean motion of the moon, respectively. CIR supports 2m stable...
transit increases over centuries as a result of Mercury's nodalprecession and Earth's axial precession. Transits of Mercury occur on a regular basis. As explained...
{\displaystyle J_{2}\,} , a celestial body's second dynamic form factor in the nodalprecession J 2 {\displaystyle J_{2}\,} , the second invariant of the deviatoric...
a lunar or solar eclipse with a full or new moon, showing how the nodalprecession of the moon's 5° orbital inclination means eclipses happen only about...
resonance with Saturn, in which Siarnaq and Saturn have matching apsidal precession periods. Siarnaq's high orbital eccentricity and inclination places it...
This term is sometimes erroneously used for the draconic or nodal period of lunar precession, that is the period of a complete revolution of the Moon's...
moons). A secular resonance occurs when the precession of two orbits is synchronised (usually a precession of the perihelion or ascending node). A small...
the Sun before the orbit completes. This cycle of axial precession for Earth, known as precession of the equinoxes, recurs roughly every 25,772 years. Periods...
trigonometry, but is most famous for his incidental discovery of the precession of the equinoxes. Hipparchus was born in Nicaea, Bithynia, and probably...
diagram indicates the combined effects of precession and nutation, while nutation in the absence of precession would only change the tilt from vertical...
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