Atlas117 of 3,915

Moth IVa.15.A

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

Moth IVa.15.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 98.676 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 89.18), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0234 of each other at a top speed of 6.55, line up 94 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 8.0×10⁻²⁷.

Measured over one period

Period: 98.67604553
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.28929
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.02338
Top speed: 6.553
Path length: 253.49
Alignments per period: 94
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 89.18)
Loop closure: 8.0×10⁻²⁷

Neighbours on the map

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