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General Relativity is a mathematical extension of Special Relativity. GR views space-time as a 4-dimensional [[manifold]], which looks locally like [[Minkowski space]], and which acquires [[curvature]] due to the presence of massive bodies. Thus, near massive bodies, the geometry of space-time differs to a large degree from that of other parts of the universe. Just as in classical physics, objects travel along [[geodesic]]s in the absence of external forces. Importantly though, near a massive body, geodesics are no longer straight lines. It is this phenomenon of objects traveling along geodesics in a curved spacetime that accounts for gravity.

General Relativity is a mathematical extension of Special Relativity. GR views space-time as a 4-dimensional [[manifold]], which looks locally like [[Minkowski space]], and which acquires [[curvature]] due to the presence of massive bodies. Thus, near massive bodies, the geometry of space-time differs to a large degree from that of other parts of the universe. Just as in classical physics, objects travel along [[geodesic]]s in the absence of external forces. Importantly though, near a massive body, geodesics are no longer straight lines. It is this phenomenon of objects traveling along geodesics in a curved spacetime that accounts for gravity.

The anomalous precession of Mercury's [[perihelion]] seems to support the Theory of General Relativity, though that is disputed on the [[Counterexamples to Relativity]] page.  Keep in mind that the precession in question is the ''"anomalous"''

The "anomalous precession" of Mercury's [[perihelion]] (slow shift of the orbit's major axis) is explained by the Theory of General Relativity, but not by Newtonian mechanics.  Some precession (5600 arcseconds per century) is caused by purely classical phenomena, mostly the gravitational attraction of other planets.  But a small amount (43 arcseconds per century) of the observed precession, goes beyond that which classical Newtonian mechanics can explain.  General relativity explains it accurately.

precession after the effects of other planets' gravitation action has been compensated for.  Those other effects are much larger, and are purely Newtonian in nature.  There was another explanation based on Newtonian gravity, involving a slight alteration to the precise inverse-square relation of Newtonian gravity to distance, but it was discarded when it gave very bad results for the Moon's orbit.

There was another explanation based on Newtonian gravity, involving a slight alteration to the precise inverse-square relation of Newtonian gravity to distance, but it was quickly discarded when it gave very bad results for the Moon's orbit.  The relativistic explanation of the anomalous precession is disputed on the [[Counterexamples to Relativity]] page of Conservapedia.

British Historian Paul Johnson declared the turning point in 20th century to have been when fellow Briton Sir [[Arthur Eddington]], an esteemed English astronomer, ventured out on a boat off Africa in 1919 with a local Army unit to observe the bending of starlight around the sun during a total eclipse.  Upon his return to England declared that his observations proven the theory of relativity.  In fact recent analysis of Eddington's work revealed that he was biased in selecting his data, and that overall his data were inconclusive about the theory of relativity. The prediction was later confirmed by more rigorous experiments, such as those performed by the [[Hubble Space Telescope]].<ref>[http://www.spaceimages.com/gravlen.html Hubble Gravitational Lens Photo]</ref><ref>[[Gravitational lensing]]</ref><ref>[http://www.iam.ubc.ca/~newbury/lenses/glgallery.html]</ref> [[Hendrik Lorentz]] had this to say on the discrepancies between the empirical eclipse data and Einstein's predictions.

British Historian Paul Johnson declared the turning point in 20th century to have been when fellow Briton Sir [[Arthur Eddington]], an esteemed English astronomer, ventured out on a boat off Africa in 1919 with a local Army unit to observe the bending of starlight around the sun during a total eclipse.  Upon his return to England declared that his observations proven the theory of relativity.  In fact recent analysis of Eddington's work revealed that he was biased in selecting his data, and that overall his data were inconclusive about the theory of relativity. The prediction was later confirmed by more rigorous experiments, such as those performed by the [[Hubble Space Telescope]].<ref>[http://www.spaceimages.com/gravlen.html Hubble Gravitational Lens Photo]</ref><ref>[[Gravitational lensing]]</ref><ref>[http://www.iam.ubc.ca/~newbury/lenses/glgallery.html]</ref> [[Hendrik Lorentz]] had this to say on the discrepancies between the empirical eclipse data and Einstein's predictions.