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Dragonfly II.4.A

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

Dragonfly II.4.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 21.272 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 1.312), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00734 of each other at a top speed of 11.7, line up 24 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 1.7×10⁻²⁷.

Measured over one period

Period: 21.27242268
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.44033
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.007336
Top speed: 11.68
Path length: 53.996
Alignments per period: 24
Topology: aaBAbaBAbbABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 1.312)
Loop closure: 1.7×10⁻²⁷

Neighbours on the map

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