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Moth IVa.8.I

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

Moth IVa.8.I is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 60.561 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 483.5), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00384 of each other at a top speed of 16.1, line up 54 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 4.4×10⁻²⁶.

Measured over one period

Period: 60.56073539
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.22337
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.003844
Top speed: 16.14
Path length: 143.58
Alignments per period: 54
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 483.5)
Loop closure: 4.4×10⁻²⁶

Neighbours on the map

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