Three equal masses follow a gravitational choreography that draws an X mark inside a circle. Each body travels along a curved path that crosses through the center of the configuration — where all three gravitational pulls converge — before swinging outward to the circular boundary and returning. The crossing paths create the X shape, while the outer extent of the orbits defines the enclosing circle. This three-body periodic solution belongs to the family of choreographies discovered through numerical searches for symmetric n-body orbits. The central crossing point is dynamically special: each mass passes through the same region at different times, and the gravitational tug-of-war there must balance perfectly for the pattern to repeat indefinitely.

X Marks the Spot

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