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Moth IVa.10.B

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

Moth IVa.10.B is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 70.835 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 20.75), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00726 of each other at a top speed of 11.8, line up 66 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 1.8×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 70.83477273
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.26284
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.007260
Top speed: 11.75
Path length: 172.79
Alignments per period: 66
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 20.75)
Loop closure: 1.8×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

All Moth IVa orbits, the families of periodic three-body orbits, or the atlas map.