Electronic Telegram No. 1697
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 2009af IN UGC 1551
     Giancarlo Cortini, Predappio, Italy, reports the discovery of an apparent
supernova (mag about 15.0) on several unfiltered CCD images (limiting mag
about 18.5) taken on Feb. 16.75 UT during his supernova search with a 0.35-m
telescope at Monte Maggiore Observatory.  The new object is located at R.A. =
2h03m36s.37, Decl. = +24o04'40".9 (equinox 2000.0), which is 15".5 west and
10".4 north of the center of the galaxy UGC 1551.  Nothing is visible at this
position on Cortini's image taken on 2008 Nov. 15.8 (limiting mag about 18.0)
or on red and blue Palomar Sky Survey plates.
     Following posting on the Central Bureau's unconfirmed-objects webpage,
S. Ciroi and F. Di Mille, Dipartimento di Astronomia, Universita di Padova;
M. Carco, M. Rossi, and P. Rosson, Liceo Scientifico Follador di Agordo; and
S. Benetti, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica and Osservatorio Astronomico
di Padova, report that a spectrogram (range 370-720 nm, resolution 1 nm) of
2009af, obtained on Feb. 18.76 UT at Asiago with the Galileo 1.22-m telescope
(+ Boller & Chivens spectrograph) -- taken in the framework of the
Educational Project of the Astronomy Department "The Sky as Laboratory" (for
details, see http://dipastro.pd.astro.it/inglese/projects/progetti_en.html)
-- shows it to be a type-II supernova.  Assuming a recession velocity of
2671 km/s (Schneider et al. 1992, Ap.J. Suppl. 81, 5; via NED) for the host
galaxy, the 'GELATO' spectrum-comparison code (Harutyunyan et al. 2008, A.Ap.
488, 383; available at https://gelato.tng.iac.es) provides good fits to
spectra of type-II supernovae (SN 1993J included) about 2-3 weeks after
explosion.  The expansion velocity deduced from the H-alpha absorption is
about 14200 km/s.


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      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT
2009 February 19                 (CBET 1697)              Daniel W. E. Green