The Digital Press

Astronomers have developed a Python package called commensurability that identifies special star orbits within galaxies by measuring the 3D space these orbits cover.

Why it matters: It improves the detection of star orbits with commensurate frequencies, key to understanding galactic dynamics.

The big picture: Commensurability uses tessellation of orbit paths instead of frequency analysis, making results more stable and reliable.

Stunning stat: The method classifies orbits using configuration space alone, reducing sensitivity to frequency instabilities and short integration times.

Quick takeaway: The package integrates with popular galactic dynamics libraries like AGAMA, gala, and galpy for versatile orbital analysis.