Atlas155 of 3,942

Moth IVc.17.B

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

Moth IVc.17.B is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 85.381 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Moth-like shapes from a third topological class. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 1.615), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0000477 of each other at a top speed of 145, line up 118 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 3.0×10⁻²⁴.

Measured over one period

Period: 85.38111876
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.60321
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 4.8×10⁻⁵
Top speed: 144.9
Path length: 217.52
Alignments per period: 118
Topology: ababABababABAbabABAbabABABabaBABabaBABababABAbabABAbabABABabaBABabaBAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 1.615)
Loop closure: 3.0×10⁻²⁴

Neighbours on the map

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