Atlas111 of 3,915

Moth IVa.8.E

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

Moth IVa.8.E is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 62.523 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 25.97), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0101 of each other at a top speed of 9.93, line up 52 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 2.0×10⁻²⁶.

Measured over one period

Period: 62.52294132
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.17640
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.01015
Top speed: 9.929
Path length: 150.89
Alignments per period: 52
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 25.97)
Loop closure: 2.0×10⁻²⁶

Neighbours on the map

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