Electronic Telegram No. 1583 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 2008hj IN MCG -02-1-14 F. Salgado and N. Morrell, on behalf of the Carnegie Supernova Project, report that a spectrum (range 380-923 nm) of 2008hj (cf. CBET 1579), obtained with the 2.5-m du Pont telescope (+ WFCCD) at Las Campanas Observatory on Nov. 24.14 UT, shows it to be a type-Ia supernova around maximum light. Comparison with a library of supernovae spectra via the "Supernova Identification" code (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) shows that 2008hj is very similar to many normal type-Ia supernovae a few days before peak. Adopting the NED recession velocity of 11360 km/s (from Huchra et al. 1993, A.J. 105, 1637) for the host galaxy, MCG -02-1-14, the minimum of the Si II 635.5-nm absorption appears blueshifted by 12400 km/s. T. Morokuma, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan -- together with M. Doi, Y. Ihara, and T. Hattori -- report that spectra (range 380-900 nm; spectral resolution about 400) of 2008hj, obtained on Nov. 24 UT with the Subaru 8.2-m telescope (+ FOCAS), indicate that this is a normal type-Ia supernova (well fitted to template of Hsiao et al. 2007, Ap.J. 663, 1187) around maximum light at a redshift of z = 0.0379. The velocity of Si II around 630 nm is roughly 12500 km/s. The redshift is measured with the H-alpha emission line of the host galaxy, MCG -02-01-14, and is consistent with the redshift in the catalogue by Huchra et al. (1993, A.J. 105, 1637). NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT 2008 November 25 (CBET 1583) Daniel W. E. Green