Discovered by M. Wolf MPC designation 2017 Wesson Orbital period 1,234 days Orbits Sun Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 20 September 1903 Minor planet category main-belt · (inner) Discovered 20 September 1903 | |
Named after Mary Wesson(wife of C. M. Bardwell) Alternative names A903 SC · 1936 FA21949 CG · 1950 LD11970 GE · 1974 QJ1 Discovery site Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory Similar Solar System, 352 Gisela, 509 Iolanda, 908 Buda, 528 Rezia | ||
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.
The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.8–2.7 AU 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. As no precoveries taken and no preceding identifications were made, the body's observation arc start with its discovery observation.
Wesson has a rotation period of 3.418 hours. The numerous light-curves have a brightness variation of 0.30 to 0.60 magnitude (U=2/3-). 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. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link agrees with the results obtained by WISE.
It 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. Naming citation was published before November 1977 (M.P.C. 4358).