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Klemperer rosette
Gamma Leporis B
Image from Steve Bowers
Gamma Leporis B , part of the AoLai System. Here the artificial planets are spaced between computronium nodes; the planets are several times as massive as the nodes.
A Klemperer rosette is a gravitational system of heavier and lighter bodies orbiting in a regular repeating pattern around a common barycenter. It was first described by W.B. Klemperer on Old Earth in 7 BT. For stability, the number of orbiting bodies must be even, and must consist of two or more different kinds of masses. Each member of the two or more sets must be of exactly the same mass, and each set must arranged to form a set of interdigitating polygons. For instance, one might have a set of four lighter masses and a set of heavier masses arranged so that overall they form an octagon with the lighter and heavier masses arranged alternately around the barycentre.

Though none exist in nature, Klemperer rosettes of everything from small habs to entire sets of planets have been created any number of times over the course of Terragen history. One well known set of planetary Klemperer rosettes is found at Ao Lai.
 
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Development Notes
Text by Stephen Inniss
Initially published on 12 October 2009.

More detailed information here
http://burtleburtle.net/bob/physics/kempler.html
 
 
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