2017 Wesson

2017 Wesson, provisional designation A903 SC, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 September 1903, by German astronomer Max Wolf at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany.^[10] It was later named after Mary Joan Wesson Bardwell, wife of Conrad Bardwell, an associate director of the Minor Planet Center.^[2]

2017 Wesson

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	M. F. Wolf
Discovery site	Heidelberg Obs.
Discovery date	20 September 1903
Designations
MPC designation	(2017) Wesson
Named after	Mary Wesson (wife of C. M. Bardwell)[2]
Alternative designations	A903 SC · 1936 FA2 1949 CG · 1950 LD1 1970 GE · 1974 QJ1
Minor planet category	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	2.6710 AU
Perihelion	1.8340 AU
Semi-major axis	2.2525 AU
Eccentricity	0.1858
Orbital period (sidereal)	3.38 yr (1,235 days)
Mean anomaly	290.04°
Mean motion	0° 17m 29.4s / day
Inclination	4.8605°
Longitude of ascending node	171.31°
Argument of perihelion	136.28°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	7.223±0.156 km[4][5] 7.23 km (derived)[3]
Synodic rotation period	2.988 h[6] 3.4158±0.0005 h[7] 3.41581±0.00003 h[8]
Geometric albedo	0.200±0.055[3][4][5]
Spectral type	S[3] B–V = 0.887[1] U–B = 0.545[1]
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.61±0.14[9] · 12.78[1] · 13.07[3][4][6]

Orbit and classification

Wesson orbits the Sun in the inner main belt at a distance of 1.8–2.7 AU, orbiting once every 3 years and 5 months (1,235 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.19 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1]

Physical characteristics

Wesson has been characterized as a stony S-type asteroid.^[3] It has a rotation period of 3.418 hours. The numerous lightcurves have a brightness variation of 0.30 to 0.60 magnitude (U=2/3-).^[6][7][8] According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures 7.2 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.200.^[4][5] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link agrees with the results obtained by WISE.^[3]

Naming

The asteroid was named after Mary Joan Wesson Bardwell, wife of Conrad M. Bardwell (1926–2010), after whom the minor planet 1615 Bardwell is named. He also established the identifications for this minor planet.^[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 April 1978 (M.P.C. 4358).^[11]