 This gives the paradoxical notion of a force acting away from the satellite but in reality it is simply a lesser force towards that body due to the gradient in the gravitational field.For precession, this tidal force can be grouped into two forces which only act on the equatorial bulge outside of a mean spherical radius.This couple can be decomposed into two pairs of components, one pair parallel to Earth's equatorial plane toward and away from the perturbing body which cancel each other out, and another pair parallel to Earth's rotational axis, both toward the ecliptic plane.