Leda (moon)
Leda, also known as , 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. It was named after Leda, who was raped by Zeus, the Greek equivalent of Jupiter. Kowal suggested the name and the IAU endorsed it in 1975.
Leda belongs to the Himalia group, five 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 2000, but they are continuously changing due to solar and planetary perturbations.
spacecraft in 2010
