Electronic Telegram No. 291 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions) CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science) URL http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html SUPERNOVA 2005ke IN NGC 1371 F. Patat and D. Baade, European Southern Observatory (ESO); and L. Wang, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, report that they have observed SN 2005ke (cf. IAUC 8630, CBET 289) on Nov. 16.57 UT with ESO's Very Large Telescope (+ FORS1 in polarimetric mode). A fully reduced spectrum (340-855 nm, resolution 1.3 nm FWHM) shows 2005ke to be a type-Ib/c supernova before maximum. Well- developed features, accompanied by P-Cyg profiles, are identified as Ca II, Fe II, Na I (possibly blended with He I), Si II, and O I. The synthetic colors deduced from the spectrum are B-V = +0.33 and V-R = +0.24, while the expansion velocity deduced from the absorption minima of Si II 635-nm and the Ca II H and K lines are 11400 and 13300 km/s, respectively. Similarly high velocities are seen also in the O I 777.4-nm and in the Ca II infrared triplet lines. A preliminary reduction of the spectropolarimetric data indicates a polarization degree of several percent in both the Ca II H and K and the Ca II infrared triplet absorption throughs. NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2005 CBAT 2005 November 16 (CBET 291) Daniel W. E. Green