Electronic Telegram No. 2536
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
CBAT Director:  Daniel W. E. Green; Hoffman Lab 209; Harvard University;
 20 Oxford St.; Cambridge, MA  02138; U.S.A.
e-mail:  cbatiau@eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat@iau.org)
URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.html
Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network


SUPERNOVA 2010jl IN UGC 5189A
     S. Benetti and F. Bufano, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio
Astronomico di Padova, on behalf of a larger collaboration, report that a
spectrogram (range 380-810 nm, resolution 1.1 nm) of the possible supernova
reported on CBET 2532, obtained on Nov. 5.08 UT by the Service Telescope
Operator Team with the Ekar-Copernicus 1.82-m telescope (+ AFOSC), shows the
new object to be a type-IIn supernova.  The spectrum is dominated by a very
strong H-alpha emission with a complex profile -- the broad component of
H-alpha having a FWHM of about 14000 km/s; H-beta is also present with a
similar profile.  He I emission lines are also clearly visible in the
spectrum.  Comparison of the observed spectrum with a library of supernova
spectra via the "GELATO" code (Harutyunyan et al. 2008, A.Ap. 488, 383;
available at website URL https://gelato.tng.iac.es/login.cgi) shows some
resemblance to that of SN 1996al (Benetti et al., in preparation) around
maximum light.

     J. Vinko, University of Szeged; G. H. Marion, Harvard-Smithsonian Center
for Astrophysics and University of Texas; T. Pritchard, Pennsylvania State
University; and J. C. Wheeler and E. Chatzopoulos, University of Texas, also
report that 2010jl is a type-IIn supernova.  A spectrum obtained on Nov. 5.5
UT with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (+ Marcario Low-Resolution
Spectrograph) by M. Shetrone shows a bright, blue continuum with strong,
intermediate-width emission lines (FWHM about 2000 km/s).  Besides strong
Balmer lines, He I features at 587.6 and 706.5 nm are clearly visible.  The
He I feature at 667.8 nm is detectable but blended by the extended red
wing of H-alpha.  The presence of H and He lines indicates that the transient
is a type-IIn supernova where the intermediate-width emission lines are
formed in a shocked circumstellar medium enveloping the supernova.
Simultaneous measurements with Swift/UVOT in the ultraviolet bands confirm
that the transient is ultraviolet-bright, as expected for young, interacting
supernovae.  Further follow-up observations in all wavelengths are encouraged.


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

                         (C) Copyright 2010 CBAT
2010 November 5                  (CBET 2536)              Daniel W. E. Green