(1697) Koskenniemi Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 8 September 1940 by H. Alikoski at Turku.
Named in memory of Veikko Antero Koskenniemi (1885-1962), the famous Finnish poet, a member of the Academy of Finland, professor of literature at Turku University. In various poems he wrote about the stars, and he was a founder member of the society Torun Ursa for amateur astronomers.Naming citation (MPC 5281), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Koskenniemi is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Koskenniemi is 2.59 au from the Sun and 3.58 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 1697 |
| Provisional designation | 1940 RM |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 11.2 km (#4,444 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.116 |
| Rotation period | 2.39 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.06 |
| Orbital period | 3.66 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.37 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.10 – 2.65 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.117 |
| Inclination | 5.66° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.12 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.