Nodal precession

Nodal precession is the precession of the orbital plane of a satellite around the rotation axis of an astronomical body such as Earth. This precession is due to the non-spherical nature of a spinning body, which creates a non-uniform gravitational field. The following discussion relates to low earth orbit of artificial satellites which have no describable effect on the motion of the Earth. The nodal precession of more massive, natural satellites such as the Moon is more complex.