[IAUC] CBET 2664: 20110303 : SUPERNOVA 2011aj IN NGC 6246A = PSN J16501398+5522280

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                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 2664
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 en eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat en iau.org)
URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.html
Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network


SUPERNOVA 2011aj IN NGC 6246A = PSN J16501398+5522280
     Zhangwei Jin (Ningbo, Zhejiang, China) and Xing Gao (Urumqi, Xinjiang,
China) report the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag approximately 17.3)
near the galaxy NGC 6246A = PGC 59090 on a 60-s survey image (limiting mag
about 19.0) taken by Xing Gao in the course of the Xingming Observation Sky
Survey around Feb. 18.922 UT using an unfiltered CCD with a Celestron C14
0.35-m Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope at Mt. Nanshan.  The new object, which was
designated PSN J16501398+5522280 when posted on the Central Bureau's TOCP
webpage and is here designated SN 2011aj (based on the spectroscopy reported
below), is located at R.A. = 16h50m13s.98, Decl.= +55d22'28".0 (equinox 2000.0).
Additional approximate magnitudes (unfiltered CCD unless noted otherwise):
1992 June 29, [19.5 (Digitized Sky Survey; via Jin and Gao); 2011 Feb. 16.924,
17.7 (Jin and Gao); 22.397, 16.6 (J. Brimacombe, Cairns, Australia; remotely
using a robotic 0.51-m RCOS telescope + SBIG STL11K CCD camera near Mayhill,
NM, U.S.A.; position end figures 14s.01, 28".5).  The discoverers have posted
their images of 2011?? at URL http://www.xjltp.com/XOSS/XM18ZJ/XM18ZJ.htm.

     G. H. Marion, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on
behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrogram (range 340-740
nm) of 2011aj was obtained on Mar. 2 UT by P. Berlind with the F. L. Whipple
Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST).  Cross-correlation with a library of
supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and
Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) shows that 2011aj is a type-Ia supernova a few
days past maximum; the velocity of the Si II 635.5-nm feature, measured at the
absorption minimum, is 8800 km/s.


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      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2011 CBAT
2011 March 3                     (CBET 2664)              Daniel W. E. Green