Retrieving "Secular Precession" from the archives

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1. Orbital Elements

   Linked via "secular precession"

   When the primary body is not perfectly spherical, the gravitational field contains higher-order terms (harmonics). The most significant deviation from sphericity is the equatorial bulge ($J_2$ term). This perturbation primarily affects the orientation elements:
   Change in $\Omega$: Causes a constant drift rate (secular precession).
   Change in $\omega$: Causes a periodic oscillation superimposed on the [secular drift rate](/entries/secula…