Leda (moon)

Leda (lee'-da, Greek Λήδα) is a satellite of Jupiter that was discovered by Charles T. Kowal at the Mount Palomar Observatory on September 14, 1974, right after three nights' worth of photographic plates had been taken (September 11 through 13; Leda appears on all of them). It is named after Leda, the queen of Sparta, who was the mother of Castor, Polydeuces, Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy (Zeus, in the form of a swan, was the father). It is also designated as Jupiter XIII.

Leda

Discovery

Discovered by

Charles Kowal

Discovered in

September 11, 1974

Orbital characteristics

Mean radius

11,097,250 km (0.07418 AU)

Eccentricity

0.1854

Periastron

9,039,300 km (0.060 AU)

Apastron

13,155,200 km (0.088 AU)

Orbital period

238.824 d (0.654 a)

Orbital circumference

69,122,650 km (0.462 AU)

Orbital velocity

max: 4.076 m/s
mean: 3.350 km/s
min: 2.801 km/s

Inclination

27.58° (to the ecliptic)
27.21° (to Jupiter's equator)

Is a satellite of

Jupiter

Physical characteristics

Mean diameter

20 km

Surface area

~1250 km²

Volume

~4200 km³

Mass

1.1×10¹⁶ kg

Mean density

2.6 g/cm³

Surface gravity

~0.0073 m/s² (0.001 g)

Escape velocity

~0.012 km/s

Rotation period

Axial tilt

?°

Albedo

0.04 (assumed)

Surface temp.

min	mean	max
K	~124 K	K

Atmospheric pressure

0 kPa

Leda belongs to the Himalia group, five moons orbiting between 11 and 13 Gm from Jupiter at an inclination of about 27.5°.

Not to be confused with the asteroid 38 Leda.

Links

Kowal, C.T. et al., "Thirteenth satellite of Jupiter", AJ 80 (1975) 460–464

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Jupiter's natural satellites