Atlas115 of 3,942

Moth IVa.14.A

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

Moth IVa.14.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 94.121 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 69.42), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0351 of each other at a top speed of 5.35, line up 88 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 1.6×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 94.12085698
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.27322
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.03507
Top speed: 5.348
Path length: 239.88
Alignments per period: 88
Topology: abaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbabABabABabABabABabABabABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 69.42)
Loop closure: 1.6×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

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