Which mechanism causes an apparent change in Mercury's orbit?

💡 Explanation

General relativity predicts spacetime curvature near massive bodies affects orbits. The precession of Mercury's orbit is caused by spacetime curvature, because the Sun's mass warps spacetime. Therefore, the orbit appears to shift, rather than remain perfectly elliptical; this effect would be negligible for less massive bodies.

• Which constraint diminishes holographic image reconstruction when using incoherent illumination?
• Which outcome occurs when rapid depressurization causes explosive boiling during a hydrate transition in a natural gas pipeline?
• Which risk increases when a tokamak's plasma current collapses?
• Which outcome occurs when high-frequency current experiences cable capacitance?
• Which consequence results when light passes by a large mass?
• Which mechanism causes dielectric breakdown in high-voltage ceramic capacitors under extreme temperature gradients?