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Dragonfly II.15.B

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

Dragonfly II.15.B is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 71.733 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Slim, elongated wings that stretch far from the centre of mass. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 3.286), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.000206 of each other at a top speed of 69.7, line up 90 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 8.9×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 71.73344802
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.54621
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 2.1×10⁻⁴
Top speed: 69.65
Path length: 184.62
Alignments per period: 90
Topology: aaBAbaBAbaBAbbABabABaaBAbaBAbaBAbbABabABabAAbaBAbaBBabABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 3.286)
Loop closure: 8.9×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

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