C/2020 V2 (ZTF)

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C/2020 V2 (ZTF)
Comet C2020 V2 (ZTF) 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 date2 November 2020
Orbital characteristics [2] [3]
Epoch 13 September 2022 (JD 2459835.5)
Observation arc 5.37 years
Earliest precovery date18 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 perihelion8 May 2023
Earth MOID 1.260 AU
Jupiter MOID 2.601 AU
Physical characteristics [4]
Mean radius
1.1±0.1 km
  • (B–V) = 0.77±0.04
  • (V–R) = 0.43±0.04
  • (R–I) = 0.42±0.06
  • (B–R) = 1.19±0.04
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		8.7

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.

Contents

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]

References

  1. 1 2 "MPEC 2020-W177: Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF)". www.minorplanetcenter.net. Minor Planet Center. 27 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) in epoch 1800 and 2200". JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System . Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 9 July 2025. (Solution using the Solar System's barycenter (Sun+Jupiter). Select Ephemeris Type:Elements and Center:@0)
  3. ↑ "C/2020 V2 (ZTF) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 G. Ahuja; K. Aravind; S. Ganesh; S. Hmiddouch; et al. (2025). "Long-term monitoring of a dynamically new comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF)". arXiv: 2509.05902 [astro-ph.EP].
  5. ↑ B. T. Bolin; F. J. Masci; M. W. Coughlin; D. A. Duev; Ž. Ivezić; et al. (2025). "The Palomar twilight survey of 'Ayló'chaxnim, Atiras, and comets". Icarus. 425 (116333) 116333. arXiv: 2409.15263 . Bibcode:2025Icar..42516333B. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116333. S2CID   273496197.
  6. 1 2 M. Mattiazzo. "2020v2 (ZTF)". Southern Comets Homepage. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  7. ↑ B. King (17 November 2022). "Sneak Peek at Two Promising Comets". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  8. ↑ P. Chambo (28 July 2023). "Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF)". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  9. ↑ P. Lawrence (21 August 2023). "Catch Comet C/2020 V2 ZTF in the pre-dawn sky in August". Sky at Night. BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  10. 1 2 P. Ochner; F. Manzini; V. Oldani; A. Farina; A. Reguitti; et al. (2025). "ASIACO: Asiago Spectroscopy and Imaging Atlas of COmets". pp. 137–139. arXiv: 2505.02988 [astro-ph.EP].
  11. 1 2 E. Jehin; M. Vander Donckt; J. Manfroid; S. Hmiddouch; et al. (2022). "TRAPPIST comets production rates: C/2022 E3 (ZTF), C/2022 A2 (PANSTARRS), C/2022 U2 (ATLAS), C/2020 V2 (ZTF), C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS), 118P, 81P, and 73P/SW-3". The Astronomer's Telegram. 15822: 1. Bibcode:2022ATel15822....1J.
  12. 1 2 E. Jehin; M. Vander Donckt; S. Hmiddouch; et al. (2023). "TRAPPIST bright comets production rates: C/2023 P1 (Nishimura), C/2023 E1 (ATLAS), C/2020 V2 (ZTF), C/2022 A2 (PANSTARRS), 103P/Hartley, 2P/Encke, and 12P/Pons-Brooks". The Astronomer's Telegram. 16223: 1. Bibcode:2023ATel16223....1J.
  13. ↑ S. Hmiddouch; E. Jehin; A. Jabiri; Y. Moulane; A. Krishnakumar; et al. (8–13 September 2024). Long-term TRAPPIST monitoring of a few Long Period and Dynamically New Comets . Europlanet Science Congress. Vol. 17, No. 1139. Berlin, Germany. Bibcode:2024EPSC...17.1139H. doi: 10.5194/epsc2024-1139 .
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