By admin_wla |
Tue, 4 Feb 2014 - 12:13
The comparatively slow torquing of the orbital planes of all satellites with respect to the Earth's axis, due to the bulge of the Earth at the equator which distorts the Earth's gravitational field. Precession is manifest by the slow rotation of the line of nodes of the orbit (westward for inclinations less than 90 degrees and eastward for inclinations greater than 90 degrees). Source: NASA (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Glossary)
