Atlas181 of 3,942

Moth VIIa.13.C

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

Moth VIIa.13.C is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 85.386 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Symmetric moths whose wings meet along a luminous seam. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 17.5), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.0245 of each other at a top speed of 6.41, line up 82 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 1.3×10⁻²⁷.

Measured over one period

Period: 85.38597370
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.28754
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 0.02451
Top speed: 6.407
Path length: 209.85
Alignments per period: 82
Topology: abaBAbabABabABAbaBAbabABabABAbaBABabABabaBAbaBABabAB (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 17.50)
Loop closure: 1.3×10⁻²⁷

Neighbours on the map

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