Atlas173 of 3,942

Moth IVc.5.A

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

Moth IVc.5.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 25.839 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Moth-like shapes from a third topological class. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 1.684), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.00672 of each other at a top speed of 12.2, line up 36 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 2.1×10⁻²⁷.

Measured over one period

Period: 25.83923816
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.63170
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.006717
Top speed: 12.20
Path length: 69.020
Alignments per period: 36
Topology: abaBAbabABAbabABabaBAB (free-group class)
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 1.684)
Loop closure: 2.1×10⁻²⁷

Neighbours on the map

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