1721 Wells
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Indiana Asteroid Program |
| Discovery site | Goethe Link Obs. |
| Discovery date | 3 October 1953 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 1721 Wells |
|
Named after
|
Herman Wells (Indiana University) [2] |
| 1953 TD3 · 1944 DA 1958 QE · A905 CG |
|
| main-belt | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 72.08 yr (26326 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.2903 AU (492.22 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 3.0032 AU (449.27 Gm) |
| 3.1468 AU (470.75 Gm) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.045614 |
| 5.58 yr (2038.9 d) | |
| 357.29° | |
| Inclination | 16.126° |
| 317.35° | |
| 135.97° | |
| Earth MOID | 2.03688 AU (304.713 Gm) |
| Jupiter MOID | 1.81491 AU (271.507 Gm) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 40.03 km |
|
Mean radius
|
20.015 ± 0.75 km |
| 0.0528 ± 0.004 | |
| 10.9 | |
1721 Wells, provisional designation 1953 TD3, is a dark asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, about 40 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by the Indiana Asteroid Program at the U.S. Goethe Link Observatory near Brooklyn, Indiana, on 3 October 1953.[3]
The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 3.0–3.3 AU once every 5 years and 7 months (2,039 days). Its orbit shows an eccentricity of 0.05 and is tilted by 16 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic. It has an albedo of 0.053.[1]
The minor planet was named in honor of Herman B. Wells (1902–2000), longtime president and chancellor of Indiana University. Almost single handed, he changed Indiana University from a small locally oriented college into a world class institution of higher learning. Over the years, he also served the cause of higher education on the national and international level with great distinction and statesmanship.[2]
References
External links
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 1721 Wells at the JPL Small-Body Database
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