Named in honor of Markku Poutanen, Finnish astronomer. Poutanen has been active in the observation of asteroid lightcurves and, with the discoverer, obtained the most extensive phase curve of a minor planet then observed, especially at small phase angles. Like his colleague Karttunen {see planet  (3758)}, Poutanen recently served as coeditor of a textbook on astronomy. In addition, he has enthusiastically sought to bring amateur and professional astronomers together, by means of both teaching and writing. (M 12977) _ _.