Electronic Telegram No. 408
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html


SUPERNOVA 2006ak
     Further to IAUC 8603, N. Tyurina, V. Lipunov, V. Kornilov,
A. Krylov, G. Borisov, A. Belinski, D. Kuvshinov, E. Gorbovskoy,
P. Gritsyk, and M. Sinitsyn report the discovery of an apparent
supernova (mag 15.8, close to R) on three unfiltered CCD images taken
with the 0.355-m MASTER robotic telescope around Feb. 17.969 UT;
a prediscovery image of the new object at mag about 17.0
was then found from a frame taken on Feb. 8.99.  SN 2006ak is
located at R.A. = 11h09m32s.83, Decl. = +28o37'50".3 (equinox
2000.0; estimated uncertainty +/- 1"), which is 6" west and 18"
north of the center of the apparent host galaxy.
     S. Blondin, M. Modjaz, R. Kirshner, and P. Challis,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, report that a spectrum
(range 350-740 nm) of 2006ak, obtained on Feb. 21.34 UT by P.
Berlind with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST),
shows it to be a type-Ia supernova with a spectral-feature age
(Riess et al. 1997, A.J. 114, 722) of 6 days past maximum light.
Adopting a recession velocity of 11150 km/s for the host galaxy,
measured from narrow nebular lines of H_alpha and [N II] 658.4 nm,
the maximum absorption in the Si II line (rest 635.5 nm) is
blueshifted by 11000 km/s.


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
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                         (C) Copyright 2006 CBAT
2006 February 21                 (CBET 408)               Daniel W. E. Green