Atlas101 of 3,942

Moth IVa.6.A

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

Moth IVa.6.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 42.83 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 6.967), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0411 of each other at a top speed of 4.94, line up 40 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 1.3×10⁻²⁸.

Measured over one period

Period: 42.82996670
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.26988
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.04115
Top speed: 4.939
Path length: 106.82
Alignments per period: 40
Topology: abaBAbaBAbaBAbabABabABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 6.967)
Loop closure: 1.3×10⁻²⁸

Neighbours on the map

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