[IAUC] CBET 793: 20070103 : SUPERNOVA 2006tf

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                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 793
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
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SUPERNOVA 2006tf
     Further to IAUC 8622, R. Quimby, F. Castro, and P. Mondol, University
of Texas, report the discovery of a supernova on unfiltered CCD images
taken on Dec. 12.48 and 16.48 UT (both at mag about 16.7) using the 0.45-m
ROTSE-IIIb telescope at the McDonald Observatory.  SN 2006tf is located at
R.A. = 12h46m15s.82, Decl. = +11o25'56".3 (equinox 2000.0), which is 0".2
east and 0".7 north of the center of an anonymous galaxy (which itself has
magnitude r = 20.68 from the SDSS DR5).  The new object was found by
subtracting a co-addition of ROTSE-IIIb images taken between 2004 December
and 2005 June (limiting mag about 19.1).  A spectrum (range 420-890 nm) of
2006tf, obtained on Dec. 22.50 with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (+
Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph) by J. Caldwell and E. Terrazas, shows
it to be a type-IIn supernova.  The spectrum is characterized by a blue
continuum with prominent emission lines from H-alpha, H-beta, and H-gamma
at a redshift of z = 0.074.  The corresponding absolute magnitude for the
presumed host is M_r = -16.9.  Additional ROTSE-IIIb data taken between
Dec. 10 and 28 indicate that 2006tf remained at mag about 16.7.


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                         (C) Copyright 2007 CBAT
2007 January 3                   (CBET 793)               Daniel W. E. Green