Telesto is a moon of Saturn, part of the Solar System in the universe. Saturn is a planet associated with the Sun, our star, and this space encyclopedia describes the moon’s identity and place in its planetary system.

Telesto — A natural satellite of Saturn. Its physical properties and orbital motion are shown from the available catalogue and ephemeris data.

No object-specific chemical/elemental dataset has been verified and imported for this record. This does not mean none is publicly available. Appearance may be imagined; chemistry is not.

Discovery and designation
Telesto was discovered in 1980. JPL credits B.A. Smith, H. Reitsema, S.M. Larson, J. Fountain. Its provisional designation is S/1980 S13. The name and discovery entry identify this particular satellite of Saturn; similarly named asteroids are separate objects.

Telesto was discovered in 1980 using ground-based observations by Brad Smith, Harold Reitsema, Stephen Larson, and John Fountain.

Telesto is known as a "Tethys Trojan" because, together with Calypso, it circles Saturn in the same orbit as the moon Tethys. At a distance of about 183,000 miles (295,000 kilometers) from Saturn, the moon takes 45.3 hours to make one trip around the planet. Telesto orbits about 60 degrees ahead of Tethys, while Calypso orbits behind Tethys by about 60 degrees. Because Telesto is in the front of this three-moon group, it is called the "leading Trojan."

Telesto is 7.7 miles (12.4 kilometers) in mean radius and appears to have a smooth, icy surface. It does not show the signs of intense cratering seen on many of Saturn's other moons.

Telesto is a daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys in Greek mythology. It was originally designated S/1981 S13.