Even Newton could account for only half of the motion of the apsides. There are two apsides in any elliptic orbit. The cathedral's church is a domed basilica with four apsides. The question of the apsides was a heated debate topic in Europe. In astronomy these extreme points are called apsides. The apsides are the orbital points closest (periapsis) and farthest (apoapsis) from its primary body.