HomePhysics & MechanicsPerihelion Precession — General Relativity vs Newton

Perihelion Precession — General Relativity vs Newton

Two orbits, one starting point: a pure-Newtonian ellipse and a GR-corrected orbit, both integrated with RK4 in real time. Watch the Newtonian orbit stay perfectly closed while the relativistic one visibly precesses — and see the precession rate grow as eccentricity rises or the orbit shrinks.

Physics & Mechanics2DAdvanced60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version
2d-gravitational-force ↗ Open standalone

Watch an elliptical orbit slowly rotate under a general-relativistic correction to Newtonian gravity — the same 1/r⁴ effect behind Mercury's anomalous perihelion precession. Tune the correction strength, eccentricity and central mass and watch the ellipse trace a rosette.

⚙ Under the hood

Watch an elliptical orbit slowly rotate under a general-relativistic correction to Newtonian gravity — the same 1/r⁴ effect behind Mercury's anomalous perihelion precession. Tune the correction strength, eccentricity and central mass and watch the ellipse trace a rosette.

gravitygeneral-relativityorbital-mechanicsmercuryn-bodyastrophysics

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install

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