Important support for general relativity came from studies of the precession of the orbit of
A)Mercury.
B)Venus.
C)Earth.
D)Mars.
E)asteroids.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the mid-1800s, astronomers noticed that the orbit of Mercury did not match the predictions based on Newtonian mechanics alone. There was a slight extra precession of its orbit that could not be explained. Later in the early 1900s, Einstein’s theory of general relativity provided a partial explanation for the precession, which accounted for the curvature of spacetime caused by the gravity of the Sun. The measured precession of Mercury's orbit matched the predictions of general relativity, providing significant support for Einstein's theory.

Important Support for General Relativity Came from Studies of the Precession