Atlas96 of 3,942

Moth IVa.14.C

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

Moth IVa.14.C is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 96.839 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 2.740), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00392 of each other at a top speed of 16, line up 90 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 3.5×10⁻²⁶.

Measured over one period

Period: 96.83912593
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.26394
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.003922
Top speed: 15.97
Path length: 238.63
Alignments per period: 90
Topology: abaBAbaBAbabABabABabaBAbaBAbabABabABabABAbaBAbaBABabABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 2.740)
Loop closure: 3.5×10⁻²⁶

Neighbours on the map

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