[IAUC] CBET 1267: 20080221 : SUPERNOVA 2008ak IN UGC 2519

[IAUC mailing list]

                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 1267
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS en CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT en CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html


SUPERNOVA 2008ak IN UGC 2519
     E. Y. Hsiao, M. L. Graham, C. J. Pritchet, and D. Balam, Department of
Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, report that a spectrogram
(range 390-703 nm, resolution 0.3 nm) of 2008ak (cf. CBET 1260) obtained on
Feb. 21.19 UT with the 1.82-m Plaskett Telescope of the National Research
Council of Canada, shows it to be a type-II supernova several days past
maximum light.  Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using
the "superfit" matching program of Howell et al. (2005, Ap.J. 634, 1190)
indicates that 2008ak is most similar to the type-II supernova 1999em (cf.
IAUC 7294, 7296) at four days past maximum.  The spectrum shows a wide
emission feature of H_alpha (FWHM about 7000 km/s) showing a P-Cyg profile.
A narrow H_alpha emission (FWHM = 450 km/s) is visible at the redshift of
the host galaxy.


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      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 February 21                 (CBET 1267)              Daniel W. E. Green