(6862) Virgiliomarcon Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 11 April 1991 by Osservatorio San Vittore at Bologna.
Named in memory of Virgilio Marcon (1903-1976), painter and teacher of art at San Donà del Piave in Venice. Also famous for building optics for amateur and professional astronomers, during the last 30 years of his life he constructed hundreds of astronomical mirrors that are still in use and famous for their quality. In 1968 he improved the technique for making aluminum mirrors and successfully worked the 1.2-meter telescope at the Merate Observatory. This technique has been carried on by his son Gianfranco, who was built mirrors up to 3 meters in diameter for infrared astronomy.Naming citation (19961224/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Virgiliomarcon is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Virgiliomarcon is 3.19 au from the Sun and 3.35 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6862 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 GL |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 22.7 km (#1,882 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.103 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 11.41 |
| Orbital period | 5.66 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.17 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 3.14 – 3.21 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.00966 |
| Inclination | 12.1° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 2.15 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Virgilio
All asteroids named after someone called Virgilio
Also discovered on 11 April 1991
- (5405) Neverland
- (5750) Kandatai
- (20006) Albertus Magnus
- (29204) Ladegast
- (39540) Borchert
- (118173) Barmen