Atlas17 of 3,915

Figure-8 V.11.B

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

Figure-8 V.11.B is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 55.914 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Three equal masses chase each other along a single figure-eight curve, the most famous choreography. It is weakly unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 4.234), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.29 of each other at a top speed of 1.96, line up 66 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 7.2×10⁻²⁹.

Measured over one period

Period: 55.91382094
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.48895
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.2898
Top speed: 1.960
Path length: 155.29
Alignments per period: 66
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 4.234)
Loop closure: 7.2×10⁻²⁹

Neighbours on the map

All Figure-8 orbits, the families of periodic three-body orbits, or the atlas map.