C/2020 V2 (ZTF)
Non-periodic comet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
_and_the_southern_Pinwheel_Galaxy.png)
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 | 5.37 years |
| Earliest precovery date | 18 April 2020 |
| Number of observations | 5,740 |
| 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° |
| 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 |
| Physical characteristics[4] | |
Mean radius | 1.1 ± 0.1 km (0.684 ± 0.062 mi) |
| |
| 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.[5]
The comet was largely only visible through large telescopes and binoculars throughout its appearance.[6] 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.[7] By June 2023, the comet was located within the constellation Aries.[8] 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.[9] On 14 October 2023, the comet was seen close to the galaxy NGC 300, now faded to magnitude 10.0.[6]
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.[10]
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.[11][12] Traces of OH, CN, C
2, and C
3 were detected on 15 December 2022,[11] but only the first three chemicals were present by 29 August 2023.[12]
Sodium-emission lines were detected from the comet on January 2023.[10]
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.[13] Photometric studies in 2025 revealed that its nucleus has an effective radius of around 1.1±0.1 km.[4] It is expected to be ejected from the Solar System on its outbound trajectory.[2]