Planetary Science
Orbital perturbation refers to the deviation of a celestial body's orbit from its idealized path due to gravitational influences from other objects. These disturbances can arise from various factors, including gravitational interactions with nearby bodies, the non-uniform distribution of mass in a planet or moon, and external forces like radiation pressure. Understanding orbital perturbations is essential for accurately predicting the motions of planets, moons, and artificial satellites within gravitational systems.
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