Atlas161 of 3,942

Moth IVc.19.Bα

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

Moth IVc.19.Bα is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 94.774 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Moth-like shapes from a third topological class. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 2.942), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.000508 of each other at a top speed of 44.4, line up 132 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 3.4×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 94.77439822
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.62641
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 5.1×10⁻⁴
Top speed: 44.39
Path length: 250.78
Alignments per period: 132
Topology: abaBAbabABAbabABAbabABabaBABabaBABabaBAbabABAbabABAbabABAbabABabaBABabaBABabaBAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 2.942)
Loop closure: 3.4×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

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