Fractal + Star = Fractar

Here’s a three-armed star made with three lines radiating at intervals of 120°:

Triangular fractal stage #1


At the end of each of the three lines, add three more lines at half the length:

Triangular fractal #2


And continue like this:

Triangular fractal #3


Triangular fractal #4


Triangular fractal #5


Triangular fractal #6


Triangular fractal #7


Triangular fractal #8


Triangular fractal #9


Triangular fractal #10


Triangular fractal (animated)


Because this fractal is created from a series of stars, you could call it a fractar. Here’s a black-and-white version:

Triangular fractar (black-and-white)


Triangular fractar (black-and-white) (animated)
(Open in a new window for larger version if the image seems distorted)


A four-armed star doesn’t yield an easily recognizable fractal in a similar way, so let’s try a five-armed star:

Pentagonal fractar stage #1


Pentagonal fractar #2


Pentagonal fractar #3


Pentagonal fractar #4


Pentagonal fractar #5


Pentagonal fractar #6


Pentagonal fractar #7


Pentagonal fractar (animated)


Pentagonal fractar (black-and-white)


Pentagonal fractar (bw) (animated)


And here’s a six-armed star:

Hexagonal fractar stage #1


Hexagonal fractar #2


Hexagonal fractar #3


Hexagonal fractar #4


Hexagonal fractar #5


Hexagonal fractar #6


Hexagonal fractar (animated)


Hexagonal fractar (black-and-white)


Hexagonal fractar (bw) (animated)


And here’s what happens to the triangular fractar when the new lines are rotated by 60°:

Triangular fractar (60° rotation) #1


Triangular fractar (60°) #2


Triangular fractar (60°) #3


Triangular fractar (60°) #4


Triangular fractar (60°) #5


Triangular fractar (60°) #6


Triangular fractar (60°) #7


Triangular fractar (60°) #8


Triangular fractar (60°) #9


Triangular fractar (60°) (animated)


Triangular fractar (60°) (black-and-white)


Triangular fractar (60°) (bw) (animated)


Triangular fractar (60°) (no lines) (black-and-white)


A four-armed star yields a recognizable fractal when the rotation is 45°:

Square fractar (45°) #1


Square fractar (45°) #2


Square fractar (45°) #3


Square fractar (45°) #4


Square fractar (45°) #5


Square fractar (45°) #6


Square fractar (45°) #7


Square fractar (45°) #8


Square fractar (45°) (animated)


Square fractar (45°) (black-and-white)


Square fractar (45°) (bw) (animated)


Without the lines, the final fractar looks like the plan of a castle:

Square fractar (45°) (bw) (no lines)


And here’s a five-armed star with new lines rotated at 36°:

Pentagonal fractar (36°) #1


Pentagonal fractar (36°) #2


Pentagonal fractar (36°) #3


Pentagonal fractar (36°) #4


Pentagonal fractar (36°) #5


Pentagonal fractar (36°) #6


Pentagonal fractar (36°) #7


Pentagonal fractar (36°) (animated)


Again, the final fractar without lines looks like the plan of a castle:

Pentagonal fractar (36°) (no lines) (black-and-white)


Finally, here’s a six-armed star with new lines rotated at 30°:

Hexagonal fractar (30°) #1


Hexagonal fractar (30°) #2


Hexagonal fractar (30°) #3


Hexagonal fractar (30°) #4


Hexagonal fractar (30°) #5


Hexagonal fractar (30°) #6


Hexagonal fractar (30°) (animated)


And the hexagonal castle plan:

Hexagonal fractar (30°) (black-and-white) (no lines)


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