Atlas19 of 3,915

Figure-8 V.4.Aα

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

Figure-8 V.4.Aα is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 39.595 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 3.831), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.384 of each other at a top speed of 1.75, line up 24 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 6.6×10⁻²⁹.

Measured over one period

Period: 39.59504552
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -0.954247
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.3839
Top speed: 1.746
Path length: 86.789
Alignments per period: 24
Stability: weakly unstable (|λ|max 3.831)
Loop closure: 6.6×10⁻²⁹

Neighbours on the map

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