The effect where the axis of a spinning object rotates is called precession. The rotation axis changes orientation, often tracing the surface of an imaginary cone while the object continues spinning around its own axis.
A familiar example is a spinning toy top. Gravity acts on the top’s center of mass while the supporting surface pushes upward at its contact point. These forces create a torque, and the torque changes the direction of the top’s angular momentum. The result is a gradual circular motion of the spin axis rather than an immediate fall.
Precession is closely related to, but distinct from, nutation. Nutation is a smaller oscillation or wobble superimposed on the main precessional motion. Angular momentum is the rotational quantity that resists changes in orientation, while torque is the influence that produces the change. Earth also precesses: its rotational axis slowly traces a cone because of gravitational torques from the Sun and Moon, completing a cycle in roughly 26,000 years.