Electronic Telegram No. 3030
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 2012aj = PSN J16270396+5136498
    J. Newton and T. Puckett report the discovery of an apparent supernova
(mag 16.9) on an unfiltered CCD image (limiting mag 19.1) taken with a 0.40-m
reflector at Portal, AZ, U.S.A., on Feb. 21.4941 UT in the course of the
Puckett Observatory Supernova Search.  The new object, which was confirmed at
mag 16.9 on Feb. 22.543 by Puckett with the 40-cm reflector at Portal, is
located at R.A. = 16h27m03s.96, Decl. = +51o36'49".8 (equinox 2000.0), which
is 7".4 west and 0".1 south of the center of PGC 214498.  Nothing is visible
at this position on images taken by Puckett on 2011 Mar. 17 (limiting mag
19.0).  The variable was designated PSN J16270396+5136498 when it was posted
at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012aj based
on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below.  Puckett has posted an
image of 2012aj at URL http://www.possdata.com/PSNJ16270396+5136498.jpg.
Unfiltered CCD images (limiting mag about 18.5) taken by L. Elenin
(Lyubertsy, Russia) and I. Molotov (Moscow, Russia) on Feb. 22.35 remotely
with a 0.45-m f/2.8 telescope in strong wind at the ISON-NM Observatory near
Mayhill, NM, USA, yield mag about 16.1 and position end figures 04s.02,
49".3.

     G. H. Marion, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on
behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 340-740 nm)
of PSN J16270396+5136498 = 2012aj was obtained on Feb. 22 UT by J. Irwin 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 2012aj is a type-Ia
supernova more than two weeks after maximum light.  A good fit is found to the
template of the normal type-Ia supernova 1995D at +16 days and z = 0.031.


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      superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

                         (C) Copyright 2012 CBAT
2012 February 23                 (CBET 3030)              Daniel W. E. Green