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Mercury has a very [[ellipse|elliptical]] [[orbit]]. At its farthest distance from the Sun, it is nearly 50% farther than at its nearest distance to the Sun.<ref>http://astroprofspage.com/archives/139</ref>

Mercury has a very [[ellipse|elliptical]] [[orbit]]. At its farthest distance from the Sun, it is nearly 50% farther than at its nearest distance to the Sun.<ref>http://astroprofspage.com/archives/139</ref>

The [[precession]] of Mercury's eccentric orbit was detectable to 19th century astronomers.<ref name=Britannica>"[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-241978/Mercury Mercury: Mercury in tests of relativity]."  In "Mercury," ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 17 April 2008</ref>

The [[precession]] of Mercury's eccentric orbit was detectable to 19th century astronomers.<ref name=Britannica>"[https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-241978/Mercury Mercury: Mercury in tests of relativity]."  In "Mercury," ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 17 April 2008</ref>

It was the study of this planet's orbit that [[Albert Einstein]] claimed to help confirm the [[General Theory of Relativity]].<ref>Testing general relativity [http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31277 European Space Agency] Accessed July 16, 2007</ref><ref>Albert Einstein [http://www.phy.hr/ Fizički odsjek] Accessed July 16, 2007</ref> Specifically, Mercury's [[apsis|perihelion]] precesses by 574.10±0.65 arc-seconds per century relative to the inertial celestial reference frame. However [[Sir Isaac Newton|Newtonian]] physics alone would predict 531.63±0.69 arc-seconds (comprised of the gravitational pull of the other planets on top of [[axial precession]]). This gives a discrepancy of 42.47 arc-seconds between Newtonian models and observations.

It was the study of this planet's orbit that [[Albert Einstein]] claimed to help confirm the [[General Theory of Relativity]].<ref>Testing general relativity [http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31277 European Space Agency] Accessed July 16, 2007</ref><ref>Albert Einstein [http://www.phy.hr/ Fizički odsjek] Accessed July 16, 2007</ref> Specifically, Mercury's [[apsis|perihelion]] precesses by 574.10±0.65 arc-seconds per century relative to the inertial celestial reference frame. However [[Sir Isaac Newton|Newtonian]] physics alone would predict 531.63±0.69 arc-seconds (comprised of the gravitational pull of the other planets on top of [[axial precession]]). This gives a discrepancy of 42.47 arc-seconds between Newtonian models and observations.