Atlas116 of 3,915

Moth IVa.12.B

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

Moth IVa.12.B is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 82.91 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 97.17), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0327 of each other at a top speed of 5.55, line up 76 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 1.5×10⁻²⁷.

Measured over one period

Period: 82.90959102
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.25626
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.03267
Top speed: 5.547
Path length: 209.26
Alignments per period: 76
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 97.17)
Loop closure: 1.5×10⁻²⁷

Neighbours on the map

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