Leda (moon)

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/leda-moon

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Leda (moon)?September 14, 1971
2. What is the astronomical designation?Jupiter LIII (53)
3. What is the orbital semi-major axis?Approximately 11.1 million km
4. What is Leda?Leda is a tiny, potato‑shaped moon of Jupiter that is about 10 kilometers across. It is irregular and not round like the big Galilean moons.
5. How did Leda become a moon of Jupiter?Scientists think Leda was once an asteroid or a piece of a larger body that Jupiter pulled in billions of years ago. Its small size keeps it from becoming round.

Hydrostatic Equilibrium: The balance between gravitational forces and internal pressure that shapes celestial bodies into spheres.
Gravitational Ensnarement: The process by which a celestial body's gravity captures another object into orbit.
Semi-Major Axis: The average distance of an object from the central body it orbits, defining the size of its orbit.