Electronic Telegram No. 1623 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 2008ie IN NGC 1070 M. Stritzinger, R. Covarrubias and M. Hamuy, on behalf of the Carnegie Supernova Project and Millenium Center for Supernova Studies, report that a spectrum (range 380-940 nm) of 2008ie (cf. CBET 1618), obtained on Dec. 18.1 UT with the 6.5-m Magellan II (Clay) telecope (+ LDSS3) at Las Campanas Observatory, shows it to be a type-IIb supernova around maximum light. The spectrum exhibits strong P-Cyg features attributed to H_alpha and the Ca II triplet. Conspicuous lines of He I (rest 587.6 nm), O II (rest 777.4 nm), and H-beta are also present. Comparison with a library of supernova spectra, via the "Supernova Identification" code (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024), indicates that 2008ie is most similar to the type-IIb supernovae 1997dd and 1993J around maximum. Adopting a host-galaxy recession velocity of 4088 km/s (Huchra et al. 1999, Ap.J. Suppl. 121, 287) for the host galaxy (NGC 1070), H_alpha and H_beta are measured to be blue-shifted by roughly 13000 and 10000 km/s, respectively. P. Challis, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 350-740 nm) of 2008ie, obtained on Dec. 19 UT by P. Berlind with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a type-IIb supernova. Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) indicates that 2008ie is most similar the to type-IIb supernovae at a week after maximum. NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT 2008 December 19 (CBET 1623) Daniel W. E. Green