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Dragonfly II.14.B

From Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Sequences of orbits from the Belgrade three-body gallery.

Dragonfly II.14.B is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 68.991 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Slim, elongated wings that stretch far from the centre of mass. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 16.55), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00139 of each other at a top speed of 26.9, line up 84 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 5.3×10⁻²⁶.

Measured over one period

Period: 68.99124365
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.51558
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.001386
Top speed: 26.90
Path length: 178.43
Alignments per period: 84
Topology: aaBAbaBAbaBBabABabAAbaBAbaBAbbABabABabAAbaBAbaBBabABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 16.55)
Loop closure: 5.3×10⁻²⁶

Neighbours on the map

All Dragonfly II orbits, the families of periodic three-body orbits, or the atlas map.