| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | M. F. Wolf |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg Obs. |
| Discovery date | 20 September 1903 |
| Designations | |
| (2017) Wesson | |
Named after | Mary Wesson (wife of C. M. Bardwell)[2] |
| A903 SC · 1936 FA2 1949 CG · 1950 LD1 1970 GE · 1974 QJ1 | |
| main-belt · (inner)[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 113.60 yr (41,492 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.6710AU |
| Perihelion | 1.8340 AU |
| 2.2525 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1858 |
| 3.38yr (1,235 days) | |
| 290.04° | |
| 0° 17m 29.4s / day | |
| Inclination | 4.8605° |
| 171.31° | |
| 136.28° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 7.223±0.156 km[4][5] 7.23 km (derived)[3] |
| 2.988h[6] 3.4158±0.0005 h[7] 3.41581±0.00003 h[8] | |
| 0.200±0.055[3][4][5] | |
| S[3] B–V = 0.887[1] U–B = 0.545[1] | |
| 12.61±0.14[9] · 12.78[1] · 13.07[3][4][6] | |
2017 Wesson, provisional designationA903 SC, is a stonyasteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 September 1903, by German astronomerMax Wolf atHeidelberg Observatory in southern Germany.[10] It was later named after Mary Joan Wesson Bardwell, wife ofConrad Bardwell, an associate director of theMinor Planet Center.[2]
Wesson orbits the Sun in the innermain belt at a distance of 1.8–2.7 AU, orbiting once every 3 years and 5 months (1,235 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.19 and aninclination of 5° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
Wesson has been characterized as a stonyS-type asteroid.[3] It has arotation period of 3.418 hours. The numerouslightcurves have a brightness variation of 0.30 to 0.60magnitude (U=2/3-).[6][7][8] According to the survey carried out by NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) with its subsequentNEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures 7.2 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.200.[4][5] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link agrees with the results obtained by WISE.[3]
The asteroid was named after Mary Joan Wesson Bardwell, wife of Conrad M. Bardwell (1926–2010), after whom the minor planet1615 Bardwell is named. He also established the identifications for this minor planet.[2] The officialnaming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 1 April 1978 (M.P.C. 4358).[11]
