C/2020 V2 (ZTF)

For other comets of the same name, see Comet ZTF (disambiguation).

C/2020 V2 (ZTF) is a non-periodic comet that was first observed in November 2020. It is the first of seven comets discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility as of 2025.

C/2020 V2 (ZTF)

Photograph of C/2020 V2 (ZTF) and NGC 300 taken from Queensland, Australia on 14 October 2023
Discovery[1]
Discovery site	Zwicky Transient Facility
Discovery date	2 November 2020
Orbital characteristics[2][3]
Epoch	13 September 2022 (JD 2459835.5)
Observation arc	5.21 years
Earliest precovery date	18 April 2020
Number of observations	5,652
Aphelion	~72,700 AU (inbound)
Perihelion	2.228 AU
Semi-major axis	~36,400 AU (inbound)
Eccentricity	0.99994 (inbound) 1.00042 (outbound)
Orbital period	~6.9 million years (inbound)
Inclination	131.61°
Longitude of ascending node	212.37°
Argument of periapsis	162.42°
Mean anomaly	–0.002°
Last perihelion	8 May 2023
Earth MOID	1.260 AU
Jupiter MOID	2.601 AU
Comet total magnitude (M1)	8.7

Observational history

The comet was first discovered as a 19th-magnitude object on images taken by the Zwicky Transient Facility on 2 November 2020. Precovery observations as far back as 18 April 2020 were also reported to the Minor Planet Center.^[1] Following its discovery, Gennadiy Borisov and the Palomar Observatory independently observed the comet during the second week of November 2020.^[4]

The comet was largely only visible through large telescopes and binoculars throughout its appearance.^[5] It passed near the galaxy NGC 3488 on 21 October 2022, the star Polaris on 22 December 2022, and it was near the Messier 103 cluster over a month later on 25 January 2023.^[6] By June 2023, the comet was located within the constellation Aries.^[7] As it continues to move south in pre-dawn skies, the comet reached magnitude 9.1 as it passes through the constellation Eridanus throughout August 2023.^[8] On 14 October 2023, the comet was seen close to the galaxy NGC 300, now faded to magnitude 10.0.^[5]

The Asiago Astrophysical Observatory made detailed imaging and spectroscopic observations of the comet on July 2024 as a magnitude 10.0 object in the night sky.^[9]

Physical characteristics

Between December 2022 and August 2023, the TRAPPIST telescopes were used to determine the comet's dust and gas production rates as it moves within the inner Solar System.^[10][11] Traces of OH, CN, C
₂, and C
₃ were detected on 15 December 2022,^[10] but only the first three chemicals were present by 29 August 2023.^[11]

Sodium-emission lines were detected from the comet on January 2023.^[9]

Despite being a dynamically new comet from the Oort cloud with an absolute total magnitude (8.7) lower than the expected Bortle survival limit, the comet remained intact throughout its most recent apparition.^[12] It is expected to be ejected from the Solar System on its outbound trajectory.^[2]