Atlas90 of 3,915

Moth IVa.16.A

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

Moth IVa.16.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 75.648 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 41269), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00342 of each other at a top speed of 17.2, line up 104 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 8.4×10⁻²⁶.

Measured over one period

Period: 75.64831290
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.64463
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.003421
Top speed: 17.16
Path length: 211.56
Alignments per period: 104
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 41269)
Loop closure: 8.4×10⁻²⁶

Neighbours on the map

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