Electronic Telegram No. 1556 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 SUPERNOVA 2008gq IN MCG -02-26-39 G. Pignata, J. Maza, M. Hamuy, R. Antezana, L. Gonzalez, P. Gonzalez, P. Lopez, S. Silva, G. Folatelli, D. Iturra, R. Cartier, and F. Forster, Universidad de Chile; B. Conuel, Wesleyan University; and D. Reichart, K. Ivarsen, A. Crain, D. Foster, M. Nysewander, and A. LaCluyze, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on behalf of the CHASE project, report the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag approximately 16.4 +/- 0.2) on unfiltered images taken on Oct. 27.35 and 28.31 UT with the 0.41-m 'PROMPT 5' telescope located at Cerro Tololo. The new object is located at R.A. = 10h11m08s.85 +/- 0".1, Decl. = -13o47'21".4 +/- 0".1 (equinox 2000.0), which is about 3".2 east 24".4 south of center of the galaxy MCG -02-26-39. Nothing is visible at this position on archival images taken on May 10.98 (limiting mag 18.0) and 14.14 (limiting mag 17.5). NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT 2008 October 28 (CBET 1556) Daniel W. E. Green