Electronic Telegram No. 4204
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
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SUPERNOVA 2015ay IN UGC 722 = PSN J01094677+1318289
     Jiaming Liao, Hefei, Anhui, China; Jianxing Chen, Anqing, Anhui, China;
Jiayi Xu, Xiaogan, Hubei, China; Guoyou Sun, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; and
Xing Gao, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, report the discovery of an apparent
supernova (mag approximately 16.8) on one unfiltered 40-s survey CCD image
(limiting mag about 19.0) taken by Gao in the course of the Xingming Sky
Survey around Oct. 3.835 UT using a 35.6-cm f/6.9 Celestron C14 Schmidt-
Cassegrain telescope at Mt. Nanshan.  The new object is approximately located
at R.A.= 1h09m46s.77, Decl. = +13d18'28".9 (equinox J2000.0; reference stars
from UCAC-A2.0 catalogue), which is about 12".1 east and 3".1 south of the
center of PGC 4142 = UGC 722.  Nothing is visible at this position on a red
Palomar Sky Survey iamge from 1990 Dec. 18 (via the Digitized Sky Survey;
limiting mag about 19.5).  The discovery images have been posted at website
URL http://www.xjltp.com/XOSS/PSP15B/PSP15B.htm.  The variable was designated
PSN J01094677+1318289 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage
and is here designated SN 2015ay based on the spectroscopic confirmation
reported below.  Additional approximate CCD magnitudes for 2015ay:  Sept. 17,
[19.0 (Gao et al.); Oct. 6.569, 16.8 (J. Brimacombe, Cairns, Australia;
five 10-min images obtained remotely with a 33-cm telescope at the Savannah
Skies Observatory in northern Queensland; position end figures 46s.82, 28".8;
image posted at URL https://www.flickr.com/photos/43846774@N02/21415781304/);
7.907, 16.9 (G. Masi; remotely using a 43-cm telescope at Ceccano, Italy;
position end figures 46s.79, 28".4).

     H. Campbell, Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge; J. Lyman, University
of Warwick; M. Fraser, Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge; J. Anderson,
European Southern Observatory (ESO); C. Inserra, Queens University, Belfast;
I. Manulis, Weizmann Institute of Science; K. Maguire, S. J. Smartt, and
K. W. Smith, Queens University, Belfast; M. Sullivan, University of
Southampton; S. Valenti, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network; O.
Yaron, Weizmann Institute of Science; and D. Young, Queens University,
Belfast, report that a spectrogram was obtained of PSN J01094677+1318289 = SN
2015ay on Oct. 7.30 UT with the ESO 3.6-m New Technology Telescope (+ EFOSC2
spectrograph; range 399-932 nm, resolution 1.8 nm).  The spectrum was
cross-correlated with a library of supernova spectra using the "SuperNova
Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024).  The
spectrum is consistent with a relatively young type-II supernova and shows a
blue continuum with broad lines of H-alpha, H-beta, and Na D/He I 589.6-nm
at the redshift of UGC 722 (z = 0.014, from HIPASS; cf. Wong et al. 2006,
MNRAS 371, 1855).


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

                         (C) Copyright 2015 CBAT
2015 November 26                 (CBET 4204)              Daniel W. E. Green