Electronic Telegram No. 1454
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
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CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
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SUPERNOVA 2008ek IN IC 1181
     S. Blondin, P. Challis, and R. Kirshner, Harvard-Smithsonian Center
for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, report that
a spectrogram (range 320-840 nm) of 2008ek (cf. CBET 1452), obtained on
July 30.20 UT by P. Challis with the MMT 6.5-m telescope (+ Blue Channel
spectrograph), shows it to be a type-Ia supernova around maximum light.
Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova
Identification" code (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) indicates
that 2008ek is most similar to the subluminous type-Ia supernova 2007al (cf.
CBET 878) at two days past maximum.  Adopting a recession velocity of 10250
km/s for the host galaxy (from The Updated Zwicky Catalog), the maximum
absorption in the Si II line (rest 635.5 nm) is blueshifted by roughly
10000 km/s.  Assuming that the galaxy is in the Hubble flow and that the
supernova suffers negligible extinction, the discovery magnitude of 18.9
corresponds to an absolute magnitude of roughly -17, comparable to SN 1991bg
at the same age.


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 July 30                     (CBET 1454)              Daniel W. E. Green