(783963) Verkkoniemi Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 22 September 2014 by EURONEAR at La Palma.
Markku Verkkoniemi (1962–2004) was a Finnish software engineer who worked as a system manager at the Nordic Optical Telescope from 2001 to 2004. On 19 October 2004 he tragically lost his life in a road accident, while driving in adverse weather conditions towards his job at Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, located atop La Palma island.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #21, 15), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Verkkoniemi is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Verkkoniemi is 3.15 au from the Sun and 3.79 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 783963 |
| Provisional designation | 2014 WZ284 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.29 |
| Orbital period | 5.38 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.07 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.85 – 3.29 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0706 |
| Inclination | 10.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.88 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.