[IAUC] CBET 1609: 20081207 : SUPERNOVA 2008hz

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                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 1609
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 2008hz
     S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports the discovery by Koichi Itagaki
(Teppo-cho, Yamagata, Japan) of a possible nova (mag 18.2) in M31 on
unfiltered CCD survey frames taken on Nov. 26.498, 28.643, and 29.385 UT
using a 0.60-m f/5.7 reflector.  The new object, initially designated
M31N 2008-11c by the Central Bureau, is located at R.A. = 0h43m18s.62
+/- 0s.04, Decl. = +42o10'14".2 +/- 0".1 (equinox 2000.0).  Nothing was
visible at this position on an image taken by Itagaki on Nov. 5.511
(limiting mag 20.0) or on the Digitized Sky Survey (no details provided).
     R. M. Quimby and M. M. Kasliwal, California Institute of Technology,
report that spectroscopy (range 360-900 nm) of M31N 2008-11c obtained on
Dec. 4.22 UT with the Double Beam Spectrograph on the Palomar Hale 5-m
telescope reveals broad absorption features including the Si II 635.5-nm
doublet, S II 545.4- and 564.0-nm, and Ca II H and K (among other features)
-- consistent with a normal type-Ia supernova near maximum light at an
approximate redshift of z = 0.07 (i.e., well beyond M31).  The supernova
designation 2008hz is thus being assigned to this object.
     H. Yamaoka, Kyushu University, adds that a diffuse object northeast
of 2008hz is probably the host galaxy:  it was catalogued as a globular-
cluster candidate by Sargent et al. (1977, A.J. 82, 947; "SKHB 220") and
in the Bologna catalogue (Battistini et al. 1987, A.Ap. Suppl. 67, 447;
Galleti et al. 2004, A.Ap. 416, 917; "Bol 469"), but spectroscopy has
revealed that it is a background galaxy at v_r = 21900 km/s (Galleti et
al. 2006, A.Ap. 456, 985); Yamaoka notes that this recession velocity is
coincident with that of Quimby and Kasliwal, above.


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
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                         (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 December 7                  (CBET 1609)              Daniel W. E. Green