Electronic Telegram No. 1955
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 2009jf IN NGC 7479
     M. M. Kasliwal, California Institute of Technology; J. L. Howell and D.
B. Fox, Pennsylvania State University; R. Quimby, California Institute of
Technology; and A. Gal-Yam, Weizmann Institute, report that two 750-s
exposures were obtained of 2009jf (cf. CBET 1952) on Sept. 29.119 UT with
the Low Resolution Spectrograph on the Hobby Eberly Telescope, using the
gr300 grating and the GG385 filter.  The spectra resemble those of SN 1999ex
and have prominent He I and Ca infrared in absorption.  The 587.6-nm He I
line is blueshifted by 14500 km/s.  They conclude that 2009jf is a young
type-Ib supernova.
     D. K. Sahu, G. C. Anupama, and U. K. Gurugubelli, Indian Institute of
Astrophysics, Bangalore, report that a low-resolution spectrogram (range
350-920 nm) of 2009jf, obtained on Sept 29.6 UT with the Indian Astronomical
Observatory's 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (+ HFOSC), shows it to be a
type-Ib supernova.  Using the SNID code (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666,
1024), the spectrum of 2009jf is found to be similar to that of SN 1999ex
close to maximum light.  Adopting a recession velocity of 2381 km/s for the
host galaxy (Haynes et al. 1998, A.J. 115, 62), the velocity corresponding
to the He I 587.6 line is 16900 km/s.
     K. Itagaki, Yamagata, Japan; H. Kaneda, Sapporo, Japan; and H. Yamaoka,
Kyushu University, report that a dim spot has been observed near the position
of 2009jf on several images in the past few decades.  It was detected twice
on Itagaki's archived unfiltered CCD images taken with a 0.60-m reflector:
2006 Nov. 8.499 UT, at magnitude about 18.2 (position end figures 53s.08,
58".8), and 2007 Aug. 13.740, at mag about 18.3 (position end figures 53s.00,
59".1).  Digitized Sky Survey images at several epochs also show this object,
including on 1953 Aug. 19.426, at mag about 18 (O plate), and on 1992 Aug.
2.397, at mag about 18 (J plate).  Adopting m-M = 32.55 (Tully, 1988, "Nearby
Galaxy Catalog"), its absolute magnitude is -14.5 or so, which strongly
suggests that these may be recurring outbursts of a luminous blue variable.


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      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT
2009 September 30                (CBET 1955)              Daniel W. E. Green