[IAUC] CBET 4183: 20151117 : SUPERNOVA 2015aj IN UGC 3460 = PSN J06280368+7418338

Lun Nov 16 21:19:05 ART 2015

                                                  Electronic Telegram No. 4183
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
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SUPERNOVA 2015aj IN UGC 3460 = PSN J06280368+7418338
     Paolo Campaner reports the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag 18.3)
on three 75-s unfiltered CCD exposures (limiting magnitude 20.0) obtained on
Sept. 2.100 UT with a 0.4-m f/5.5 reflector at Ponte di Piave, Italy, in the
course of the Italian Supernovae Search Project.  The new object is located at
R.A. = 6h28m03s.68, Decl. = +74d18'33".8 (equinox 2000.0), which is 18" east
and 28" north of the center of UGC 3460.  The variable was designated PSN
J06280368+7418338 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and
is here designated SN 2015aj based on the spectroscopic confirmation reported
below.  Additional CCD magnitudes for 2015aj:  Sept. 3.01, 18.2 (M. Caimmi,
Loreto, Italy; 0.24-m f/6.5 reflector; fifteen stacked 240-s exposures;
position end figures 03s.74, 34".1); 4.124, 18.1 (Campaner); 7.382, 17.6 (J.
Brimacombe, Cairns, Australia; position end figures 03s.61, 34".2; image
posted at URL https://www.flickr.com/photos/43846774@N02/21082868068/);
12.904, 17.0 (G. Masi; remotely using a 43-cm telescope at Ceccano, Italy;
position end figures 03s.57, 34".0); 18.902, 17.7 (Zhijian Xu and Xing Gao;
Celestron C14 telescope; position end figures 03s.56, 34".3; image posted at
URL http://njzhijian.lamost.org/Supernova/PSN_J06280368+7418338_0918.jpg).

     P. Ochner, A. Pastorello, S. Benetti, E. Cappellaro, N. Elias-Rosa, L.
Tartaglia, G. Terreran, L. Tomasella, and M. Turatto, Osservatorio
Astronomico di Padova, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, report that an
optical spectrogram (range 340-820 nm; resolution 1.4 nm) of PSN
J06280368+7418338 = SN 2015aj, obtained on Aug. 6.09 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-II supernova, few weeks after maximum light.  The spectrum shows
P-Cyg lines of H, Fe II, and Na I that are typically observed in type-II
supernovae during the H-recombination phase.  From the minimum of H-alpha,
they infer an ejecta velocity of about 6200 km/s (slightly lower, about 5100
km/s, from the minimum of H-beta), when adopting for the host galaxy (UGC
3460) a redshift z = 0.01765 (de Vaucouleurs et al. 1991, RC3.9; via NED).
The 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.


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

                         (C) Copyright 2015 CBAT
2015 November 17                 (CBET 4183)              Daniel W. E. Green