Atlas24 of 3,915

Figure-8 V.15.A

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

Figure-8 V.15.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 70.742 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 2.599), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.27 of each other at a top speed of 2.06, line up 90 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 3.3×10⁻²⁸.

Measured over one period

Period: 70.74182903
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.56502
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.2704
Top speed: 2.058
Path length: 200.58
Alignments per period: 90
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 2.599)
Loop closure: 3.3×10⁻²⁸

Neighbours on the map

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