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 byM. F. Wolf
Discovery siteHeidelberg Obs.
Discovery date20 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 arc113.60 yr (41,492 days)
Aphelion2.6710 AU
Perihelion1.8340 AU
2.2525 AU
Eccentricity0.1858
3.38 yr (1,235 days)
290.04°
0° 17m 29.4s / day
Inclination4.8605°
171.31°
136.28°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions7.223±0.156 km[4][5]
7.23 km (derived)[3]
2.988 h[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]

    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]

    gollark: Mostly because it doesn't seem very economically viable, because there is no spacey infrastructure.
    gollark: But they don't.
    gollark: If someone had valuable assets up there the legal issues would be worked out.
    gollark: I don't think the issue is just the OST, though.
    gollark: Outer Space Treaty, a UN treaty regulating use of spæce things.

    References
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2017 Wesson (A903 SC)" (2017-04-26 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
    2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2017) Wesson". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2017) Wesson. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 163. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2018. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
    3. "LCDB Data for (2017) Wesson". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    4. Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; Tholen, D.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 25. arXiv:1109.6407. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90.
    5. Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    6. Wisniewski, W. Z. (March 1991). "Physical studies of small asteroids. I – Lightcurves and taxonomy of 10 asteroids". Icarus. 90 (1): 117–122. Bibcode:1991Icar...90..117W. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(91)90073-3. ISSN 0019-1035. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    7. Kryszczynska, A.; Colas, F.; Polinska, M.; Hirsch, R.; Ivanova, V.; Apostolovska, G.; et al. (October 2012). "Do Slivan states exist in the Flora family?. I. Photometric survey of the Flora region". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 546: 51. Bibcode:2012A&A...546A..72K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219199. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    8. Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (2017) Wesson". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    9. Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 – Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    10. "2017 Wesson (A903 SC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    11. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2009). "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.

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