Atlas87 of 3,942

Moth IVa.9.B

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

Moth IVa.9.B is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 54.057 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Broad, fringed wings built from many overlapping passes. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 8.884), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.000329 of each other at a top speed of 55.2, line up 60 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 1.2×10⁻²⁴.

Measured over one period

Period: 54.05724843
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.41765
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 3.3×10⁻⁴
Top speed: 55.17
Path length: 138.49
Alignments per period: 60
Topology: abaBAbabABabABAbaBAbabABabaBAbaBABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 8.884)
Loop closure: 1.2×10⁻²⁴

Neighbours on the map

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