Atlas113 of 3,942

Moth IVa.9.A

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

Moth IVa.9.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 62.3 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 8.101), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00859 of each other at a top speed of 10.8, line up 58 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 1.9×10⁻²⁶.

Measured over one period

Period: 62.29993807
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.26864
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.008585
Top speed: 10.80
Path length: 156.91
Alignments per period: 58
Topology: abaBAbaBAbaBAbaBAbabABabABabABabABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 8.101)
Loop closure: 1.9×10⁻²⁶

Neighbours on the map

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