Atlas199 of 3,942

Moth VIIb.15.A

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

Moth VIIb.15.A is a periodic orbit of the planar three-body problem: three equal masses that return to their starting positions and velocities every 67.388 time units, published by Šuvakov & Dmitrašinović (2013). Related moths with a different winding of the outer lobes. It is unstable (largest Floquet multiplier 21.6), so a small nudge makes it unravel over a few periods. The bodies pass within 0.000605 of each other at a top speed of 40.6, line up 98 times a period, and the computed loop closes to 2.1×10⁻²⁵.

Measured over one period

Period: 67.38773791
Masses: 1 : 1 : 1
Energy: -1.67999
Angular momentum: 0
Closest approach: 6.1×10⁻⁴
Top speed: 40.65
Path length: 182.43
Alignments per period: 98
Topology: abaBAbabABAbabABabaBABabaBAbabABAbaBABabaBABabABAbabABAbaBAB (free-group class)
Stability: unstable (|λ|max 21.60)
Loop closure: 2.1×10⁻²⁵

Neighbours on the map

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