Atlas153 of 3,942

Moth IVc.15.C

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

Moth IVc.15.C is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 61.284 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Moth-like shapes from a third topological class. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 1.450), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00131 of each other at a top speed of 27.6, line up 112 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 2.4×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 61.28386743
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.92524
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.001314
Top speed: 27.63
Path length: 169.07
Alignments per period: 112
Topology: ababABAbabaBABabaBABababABAbabABAbabaBABababABAbabABAbabaBABabaBAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 1.450)
Loop closure: 2.4×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

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