On February 1, two amateur astronomers spotted a comet. Kaoru Ikeya saw it low in the sky just after sunset from Japan. It was the sixth comet spotting for Ikeya. About 90 minutes later, Daqing Zhang saw the comet from the Henan province in China. The comet was named for both men, and is called the Ikeya-Zhang comet.

Astronomers believe this comet is the same comet recorded in 1661. The comet has a period or orbit of 341 years. Comet Ikeya-Zhang will be at its brightest in late March and early in April.