Electronic Telegram No. 1359 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://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html SUPERNOVA 2008bx IN MCG +07-31-4 M. C. Bentz and J. L. Walsh, University of California, Irvine; and J. M. Silverman, T. N. Steele, and A. V. Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley, report that inspection of CCD spectra (range 330-1050 nm), obtained on Apr. 28 UT with the Shane 3-m telescope at Lick Observatory, reveals that 2008bx (CBET 1348) is a type-II supernova. Several weak, broad spectral features are present on top of a relatively featureless continuum and appear mostly in absorption. Removing a host-galaxy recession velocity of 2800 km/s (from a narrow emission lines), the minimum of the H-beta absorption is blueshifted by about 10000 km/s. S. Blondin, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 350-740 nm) of 2008bx, obtained on Apr. 29.32 UT by P. Berlind with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a young type-II supernova. The spectrum consists of a blue continuum with shallow P-Cyg profiles of the Balmer series and He I (587.6 nm). Adopting a recession velocity of 2518 km/s for the host galaxy (from de Vaucouleurs et al. 1991, Third Ref. Cat. of Bright Galaxies), the maximum absorption in the H_beta line (rest 486.1 nm) is blueshifted by roughly 9000 km/s. NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT 2008 April 30 (CBET 1359) Daniel W. E. Green