2017 Wesson
2017 Wesson, provisional designation, 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. It was later named after Mary Joan Wesson Bardwell, wife of Conrad Bardwell, an associate director of the Minor Planet Center.
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. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.19 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.
Wesson has been characterized as a stony S-type asteroid. It has a rotation period of 3.418 hours. The numerous lightcurves have a brightness variation of 0.30 to 0.60 magnitude. According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer 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.
Naming
The asteroid was named after Mary Joan Wesson Bardwell, wife of Conrad M. Bardwell, after whom the minor planet 1615 Bardwell is named. He also established the identifications for this minor planet. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 April 1978.