Electronic Telegram No. 1499 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 2008fi AND 2008fk P. Challis, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 350-740 nm) of 2008fi (cf. CBET 1493), obtained on Sept. 4 UT by W. Peters with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a type-IIb supernova at about maximum light. Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) indicates that 2008fi is most similar to a spectrum of the type-IIb supernova 1997dd (cf. IAUCs 6724, 6725, 6742) taken on 1997 Sept. 6 (Matheson et al. 2001, A.J. 121, 1648). The spectrum shows general agreement to other type-IIb supernovae around maximum light. A low-signal-to-noise-ratio spectrum (range 350-740 nm) of 2008fk (cf. CBET 1494), obtained as above on Sept. 5 UT, shows it to be a normal type-Ia supernova at about maximum light. The redshift measured from H_alpha emission is 0.072. NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT 2008 September 8 (CBET 1499) Daniel W. E. Green