Electronic Telegram No. 3891
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@eps.harvard.edu (alternate cbat@iau.org)
URL http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/index.html
Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network


SUPERNOVA 2014bh = PSN J12245668+2121410
     W.-x. Li, L.-y. Li, J. Mo, and X.-f. Wang, Tsinghua University (THU); and
T.-m. Zhang, National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC), report the
discovery of an apparent supernova (mag 17.4) on unfiltered CCD images taken
on May 22.65 UT using the 0.6-m NAOC Schmidt telescope in the course of the
THU-NAOC Transient Survey (TNTS).  The new object is located at R.A. =
12h24m56s.68, Decl. = +21d21'41".0 (equinox 2000.0), which is 2".6 east and
4".5 north of the center of the presumed host galaxy (the TNTS images posted
at URL http://www.thca.tsinghua.edu.cn/~wangxf/TNTS/PSNJ12245668+2121410.png).
Nothing is visible at this position on a digitized image from the Palomar Sky
Survey.  The variable was designated PSN J12245668+2121410 when it was posted
at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2014bh based on
the spectroscopic confirmation reported below.  Additional CCD magnitudes for
2014bh:  2013 Jan. 26, [20.0 (TNTS); 2014 May 23.894, V = 17.9 (M. Martignoni,
Magnago, Italy; 0.25-m f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector; position end figures
56s.63, 39".9); 29.833, 17.8 (G. Masi; remotely using a 43-cm telescope at
Ceccano, Italy; position end figures 56s.71, 40".0).

     J.-j. Zhang, Yunnan Observatories (YNAO); and X.-f. Wang, Tsinghua
University, report on an optical spectrogram (range 340-870 nm) of 2014bh that
was obtained on May 25.68 UT with the 2.4-m telescope (+ YFOSC) at the LiJiang
Gaomeigu Station of YNAO.  The spectrum is consistent with a type-Ia supernova
at around maximum light.  Cross-correlation with a library of supernova
spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and Tonry
2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) shows that 2014bh matches with SN 2003ch at maximum.
Adopting a redshift of 0.0557 for the host galaxy (KUG 1222+216) from the
narrow emission line, they measure a velocity of the Si II 635.5-nm absorption
feature to be about 7400 km/s.  The weak absorption feature at 638.0 nm is
likely due to the C II 658-nm line.  These features are reminiscent of the
behavior of super-Chandrasekhar-mass supernova such as SN 2009dc (Taubenberger
et al. 2011, MNRAS 412, 2735).


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      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2014 CBAT
2014 June 13                     (CBET 3891)              Daniel W. E. Green