Leda

Discovery
Discovered by	Charles Kowal
Discovered in	1974 September 11
Orbital characteristics
Mean radius	~11,094,000 km
Eccentricity	~0.15
Orbital period	~240.5d
Inclination	1.5 - 50.6°
Is a satellite of	Jupiter
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	20 km
Surface area	km2
Mass	1.09×1016 kg
Mean density	2.6 g/cm3
Surface gravity	0.073 m/s2
Rotation period	?
Axial tilt	?°
Albedo
Surface temp.	min mean max K K K
Atmospheric pressure	0 kPa

Leda (pronounced "LEE da") 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 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).

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.

External links

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