Atlas56 of 3,942

Dragonfly II.16.A

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

Dragonfly II.16.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 95.811 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Slim, elongated wings that stretch far from the centre of mass. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 10.23), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.000162 of each other at a top speed of 78.6, line up 96 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 2.2×10⁻²³.

Measured over one period

Period: 95.81071962
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.33091
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 1.6×10⁻⁴
Top speed: 78.60
Path length: 225.93
Alignments per period: 96
Topology: aaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbbABabABaaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbbABabABaaBAbaBAbbABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 10.23)
Loop closure: 2.2×10⁻²³

Neighbours on the map

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