Electronic Telegram No. 1271 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://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html SUPERNOVAE 2008an AND 2008aq Further to CBET 1255, J. Chu, W. Li, and A. V. Filippenko, University of California at Berkeley, report the LOSS discovery of an apparent supernova on unfiltered KAIT images: SN 2008 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset 2008aq Feb. 27.44 12 50 30.42 -10 52 01.4 16.3 15".2 E, 45".2 S Additional KAIT magnitudes for 2008aq in MCG -02-33-20: Feb. 10.47 UT, [19.1; 28.40, 16.2. S. Blondin, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrogram (range 350-740 nm) of 2008aq, obtained on Feb. 28.45 UT by G. Narayan with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a young type-II/IIb supernova. The spectrum displays broad P-Cyg profiles from the Balmer series, typical of young type-II supernovae, and, in addition, an absorption feature that may result from a blend of He I 587.6-nm and Na I D and that is particularly strong in type-Ib supernovae. SN 2008aq may thus evolve into a "type-IIb"-like event. Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) indicates that 2008aq is similar to the type-IIb supernova 2006T (CBETs 386, 425) at around one week before maximum light. Adopting a recession velocity of 2397 km/s for the host galaxy (de Vaucouleurs et al. 1991, Third Ref. Cat. of Bright Galaxies, ver. 3.9), the maximum absorption in the H_alpha line (rest 656.3 nm) is blueshifted by roughly 14000 km/s. Blondin et al. add that a spectrogram of 2008an (cf. CBET 1268), obtained as above on Feb. 28.53 UT by Narayan, shows it to be a type-Ic supernova around maximum light. Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using SNID code indicates that 2008an is most similar to the type-Ic supernova 1994I at two days past maximum light. NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT 2008 February 28 (CBET 1271) Daniel W. E. Green