Leda (moon) facts for kids
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Charles T. Kowal |
| Discovery date | September 11, 1974 |
| Orbital characteristics | |
|
Mean orbit radius
|
11,160,000 km |
| Eccentricity | 0.16 |
| 240.92 d (0.654 a) | |
|
Average orbital speed
|
3.4 km/s |
| Inclination | 27.46° (to the ecliptic) 29.01° (to Jupiter's equator) |
| Satellite of | Jupiter |
| Physical characteristics | |
|
Mean radius
|
10 km |
| ~1250 km² | |
| Volume | ~4200 km³ |
| Mass | 1.1×1016 kg |
|
Mean density
|
2.6 g/cm³ (assumed) |
| ~0.0073 m/s2 (0.001 g) | |
| ~0.012 km/s | |
| Albedo | 0.04 (assumed) |
| Temperature | ~124 K |
| 20.2 | |
Leda or Jupiter XIII, is a prograde non-spherical moon of Jupiter. It was found by Charles T. Kowal at the Mount Palomar Observatory on September 14, 1974, after three nights' worth of photographic plates had been taken (September 11 through 13; Leda appears on all of them). It was named after Leda, who was a lover of Zeus, the Greek equivalent of Jupiter (who came to her in the form of a swan). Kowal suggested the name and the IAU supported it in 1975.
Leda belongs to the Himalia group, five moons orbiting between 11,000,000 and 13,000,000 km from Jupiter at an inclination of about 27.5°. The orbital elements given here are as of January 2000, but they are changing a lot due to Solar and planetary perturbations.
Images for kids
-
Single-exposure image of Leda by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Leda (satélite) para niños
