Electronic Telegram No. 1580 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 2008hh AND 2008hi P. Challis, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a low-signal-to-noise-ratio spectrum (range 350-740 nm) of 2008hh (CBET 1575), obtained on Nov. 23 UT by N. Wright with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a type-Ic supernova at about maximum light. Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) indicates that 2008hh is most similar to normal type-Ic supernovae at maximum light. F. Salgado, N. Morrell, and M. Stritzinger, on behalf of the Carnegie Supernova Project, report that on Nov. 23.1 UT they obtained spectra (range 380-923 nm) of 2008hh (cf. CBET 1575) and 2008hi (cf. CBET 1578) with the 2.5-m du Pont telescope (+ WFCCD) at Las Campanas Observatory. Comparison with a library of supernovae spectra (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) indicates that 2008hh is a type-Ic supernova, similar to 2004aw, near maximum light. Nebular emission lines are observed in the spectrum at a redshift of z = 0.020, coincident with that of the host galaxy (0.0194 as measured by Scneider et al. 1990, Ap.J. Suppl. 72, 245). The spectrum of 2008hi is that of a subluminous type-Ia supernova past maximum light. The spectrum contains Ti II absorption at 420 nm and Si II absorption at 615 nm. They find the spectrum of 2008hi to be similar to that of SN 2005ke around two weeks past maximum; adopting a host-galaxy recession velocity of 4037 km/s (Fisher et al. 1995, Ap.J. Suppl. 100, 69), Si II is measured to be blue-shifted by roughly 10500 km/s. NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT 2008 November 24 (CBET 1580) Daniel W. E. Green