Leda (moon)
Leda /ˈliːdə/, also known as Jupiter XIII, is a prograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered 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 raped by Zeus, the Greek equivalent of Jupiter (who came to her in the form of a swan). Kowal suggested the name and the IAU endorsed it in 1975.
Discovery image of Leda taken by the Palomar Observatory in 1974 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Charles T. Kowal |
| Discovery site | Palomar Observatory |
| Discovery date | 14 September 1974 |
| Designations | |
Designation | Jupiter XIII |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːdə/ |
Named after | Λήδα Lēdā |
| Adjectives | Ledian /ˈliːdiən/, Ledean /ˈliːdiən/ or /liːˈdiːən/ |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5) | |
| Observation arc | 42.60 yr (15,561 days) |
Semi-major axis | 0.0748405 AU (11,195,980 km) |
| Eccentricity | 0.1648788 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | +242.02 d |
Mean anomaly | 137.02571° |
Mean motion | 1° 29m 14.953s / day |
| Inclination | 27.63631° (to ecliptic) |
Longitude of ascending node | 190.18497° |
| 312.92965° | |
| Satellite of | Jupiter |
| Group | Himalia group |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 21.5±1.7 km |
| Albedo | 0.034±0.006 |
| 20.2 | |
| 12.7 | |
Leda belongs to the Himalia group, moons orbiting between 11 and 13 Gm from Jupiter at an inclination of about 27.5°. The orbital elements given here are as of January 2021, but they are continuously changing due to solar and planetary perturbations.
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