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Dragonfly II.17.A

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

Dragonfly II.17.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 96.873 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 5.986), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.000381 of each other at a top speed of 51.3, line up 102 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 2.7×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 96.87319153
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.37554
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 3.8×10⁻⁴
Top speed: 51.30
Path length: 235.43
Alignments per period: 102
Topology: aaBAbaBAbaBBabABabAAbaBAbaBBabABabAAbaBAbaBAbbABabABaaBAbaBAbbABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 5.986)
Loop closure: 2.7×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

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