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C/2020 V2 (ZTF)

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

C/2020 V2 (ZTF)
Photograph of C/2020 V2 (ZTF) and NGC 300 taken from Queensland, Australia on 14 October 2023
Discovery[1]
Discovery siteZwicky Transient Facility
Discovery date2 November 2020
Orbital characteristics[2][3]
Epoch13 September 2022 (JD 2459835.5)
Observation arc5.37 years
Earliest precovery date18 April 2020
Number of
observations		5,740
Aphelion~72,700 AU (inbound)
Perihelion2.228 AU
Semi-major axis~36,400 AU (inbound)
Eccentricity0.99994 (inbound)
1.00042 (outbound)
Orbital period~6.9 million years (inbound)
Inclination131.61°
212.37°
Argument of
periapsis		162.42°
Mean anomaly–0.002°
Last perihelion8 May 2023
Earth MOID1.260 AU
Jupiter MOID2.601 AU
Physical characteristics[4]
Mean radius
1.1 ± 0.1 km (0.684 ± 0.062 mi)
  • (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.

Observational history

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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

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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

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  1. ^ a b H. Sato; B. T. Bolin; E. Guido; A. Valvasori (27 November 2020). "Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF)". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. 2020-W177. ISSN 1523-6714.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ a b G. Ahuja; K. Aravind; S. Ganesh; S. Hmiddouch; et al. (2025). "Long-term monitoring of a dynamically new comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF)" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 543 (2): 1178–1195. arXiv:2509.05902. Bibcode:2025MNRAS.543.1178A. doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1528.
  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. ^ a b 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 2025.
  8. ^ P. Chambo (28 July 2023). "Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF)". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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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