| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Indiana University (Indiana Asteroid Program) |
| Discovery site | Goethe Link Obs. |
| Discovery date | 3 October 1953 |
| Designations | |
| (1721) Wells | |
Named after | Herman Wells (Indiana University)[2] |
| 1953 TD3 · 1944 DA 1958 QE · A905 CG | |
| main-belt · (outer) | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 112.13 yr (40,957 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.2969AU |
| Perihelion | 3.0049 AU |
| 3.1509 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0463 |
| 5.59yr (2,043 days) | |
| 101.64° | |
| Inclination | 16.107° |
| 317.29° | |
| 137.52° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 43.576±0.166 km[3] |
| 0.045±0.005[3] | |
| 10.9[1] | |
1721 Wells, provisional designation1953 TD3, is a darkasteroid from the outer region of theasteroid belt, approximately 44 kilometers in diameter.
It was discovered on 3 October 1953, byIU'sIndiana Asteroid Program atGoethe Link Observatory near Brooklyn, Indiana, United States.[4] It was named after UI's president and chancellorHerman B Wells.[2]
Wells orbits the Sun in theouter main-belt at a distance of 3.0–3.3 AU once every 5 years and 7 months (2,043 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.05 and aninclination of 16° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
First identified asA905 CG atHeidelberg in 1905,Well's first used observation was taken atTurku in 1944, extending the asteroid'sobservation arc by 9 years prior to its official discovery observation.[4]
According to the survey carried out by NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission,Wells measures 43.576 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.045.[3] It has an absolutemagnitude of 10.9.[1] As of 2017,Well'sspectral type,rotation period and shape remain unknown.
Thisminor planet was named in honor ofHerman B Wells (1902–2000), chancellor and president and of Indiana University, who has transformed Indiana University from a provincial college into a world-renowned institution of higher learning. During this time, Wells also fostered higher education nationally and internationally.[2] The officialnaming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 15 June 1973 (M.P.C. 3508).[5]
