Leda (moon)

Charles Kowal

Leda ( Jupiter XIII) is one of the smallest known before using the Voyager probes moons of Jupiter.

Discovery

Leda was on September 14, discovered in 1974 by astronomer Charles Kowal on photographic plates which were exposed three days earlier at the observatory on Mount Palomar. As the official date of discovery of September 11, 1974 is therefore listed.

Named the moon after Leda, a lover of Zeus in Greek mythology.

Path data

Leda orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 11,165,000 km in about 240 days and 12 hours. The track has an eccentricity of 0.15 and 27.5 ° strongly towards the local Laplace plane, which roughly coincides with the orbital plane of Jupiter, inclined.

Because of their web properties it is the Himalia group, named after Jupiter's moon Himalia assigned.

Physical data

Leda has an average diameter of only 20 km. Their density is 2.6 g / cm ³ relatively high, indicating that it is predominantly composed of silicate rock. It has a very dark surface with an albedo of 0.04.

Their apparent brightness is 19.5 m.