[IAUC] CBET 4182: 20151117 : SUPERNOVA 2015ai IN UGC 8734 = PSN J13480490+6149153

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                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 4182
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
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SUPERNOVA 2015ai IN UGC 8734 = PSN J13480490+6149153
     E. Briggs, R. Post, T. Puckett, and J. Newton report the discovery of an
apparent supernova (mag 16.3) on unfiltered CCD images (limiting mag 19.0)
taken with a 0.60-m reflector at Mayhill, NM, U.S.A., on July 2.240 UT in the
course of the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search.  The new object is located
at R.A. = 13h48m04s.90, Decl. = +61o49'15".3 (equinox 2000.0), which is 7".0
west and 20".2 south of the center of UGC 8734.  An image of the variable is
posted at website URL http://possdata.com/PSNJ13480490+6149153.jpg.  The
variable was designated PSN J13480490+6149153 when it was posted at the
Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2015ai based on the
spectroscopic confirmation reported below.  G. Masi writes that his images
taken remotely on July 5.964 with a 43-cm telescope at Ceccano, Italy, show
2015ai at mag 16.5 with position end figures 04s.90, 15".7.

     G. Terreran, M. Turatto, S. Benetti, E. Cappellaro, N. Elias-Rosa, P.
Ochner, A. Pastorello, L. Tartaglia, and L. Tomasella, Osservatorio
Astronomico di Padova, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, report that an
optical spectrogram (range 340-820 nm; resolution 1.4 nm) of PSN
J13480490+6149153 = SN 2015ai, obtained on Aug. 12.80 UT with the Asiago
182-cm Copernico Telescope (+ AFOSC) in the framework of the Asiago Transient
Classification Program (Tomasella et al. 2014, A.N. 335, 841), shows that
this a type-Ia supernova, about 5 weeks after maximum light.  Adopting a
redshift z = 0.031 (Falco et al. 1999, PASP 111, 438; from NED) for the host
galaxy, UGC 8734, the best match is found with the normal type-Ia supernova
2003du and with the 1991T-like supernova 1999aa.  Classification was done with
GELATO (Harutyunyan et al. 2008, A.Ap. 488, 383) and SNID (Blondin and Tonry
2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024).  The Asiago classification spectra are posted at URL
http://sngroup.oapd.inaf.it.


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                         (C) Copyright 2015 CBAT
2015 November 17                 (CBET 4182)              Daniel W. E. Green