ABSTRACT
The computation of the elements of the curvature tensor may be carried out. It is very straightforward although tedious, because there are so many derivatives in the Christoffel symbols and so many sums to be made. The time-independence of the Schwarzschild metric follows from the assumption of spherical symmetry, and that the authors are placed in a region of zero stress density. For the case of a real star such as the sun, there is no true spherical symmetry because of the rotation and because of the bulge at the equator. Nevertheless, the Schwarzschild solution is sufficiently close to the situation of the sun, that the precession of the perihelion of Mercury is given correctly to within the observational errors. The physical interpretation of this point concerns the rate at which processes occurring near the sun would appear to observers farther out.
