Electronic Telegram No. 1626 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 2008ij IN NGC 6643 S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports the discovery by Koichi Itagaki (Teppo-cho, Yamagata, Japan, 60-cm f/5.7 reflector) of an apparent supernova (mag 15.9) on ten or more 15-s unfiltered CCD frames (limiting mag 19.0) taken around Dec. 19.45 UT. Confirming images by Itagaki on Dec. 19.806 and 20.347 yields magnitudes 15.8 and 15.7, respectively. The new object is located at R.A. = 18h19m51s.81 +/- 0s.11, Decl. = +74o33'54".9 +/- 0".2 (equinox 2000.0; average of three images measured by Itagaki), which is about 23" east and 11" south of the center of NGC 6643. Nothing is visible at this position on his past frames taken before 2007 Feb. 25 (limiting magnitude 19.5) or on his most recent survey image from 2008 Dec. 16 limiting magnitude 19.0), and nothing is visible on the Digitized Sky Survey (limiting mag 20.5). Nakano adds that K. Kadota (Ageo, Japan, 0.25-m reflector) confirmed 2008ij at mag 16.0 and position end figures 51s.80, 55".2 (offset 21" east and 11" south of the galaxy's center. Following posting on the Central Bureau's unconfirmed-objects webpage, T. Kryachko, Kazan State University (KSU); and S. Korotkiy, Moscow, report 2008ij at mag V = 15.4 with position end figures 51s.88, 54".7 (offset 22" east, 11".5 south of the center of the galaxy NGC 6643) on a 300-s CCD exposure (limiting red mag 20.0) taken on Dec. 19.722 with a 30-cm Takahashi FRC-300 telescope (+ Apogee Alta U9000 camera) at KSU's Astrotel Observatory at Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia, adding that nothing is visible at this position on a Palomar Sky Survey plate obtained on 1993 July 23 (limiting red mag 20.5; via the Digitized Sky Survey); they have posted an image showing the galaxy and 2008ij at the following website URL: http://www.astroalert.su/files/ngc6643sn.jpg. Note that SN 2008bo appeared in this galaxy (CBETs 1324, 1325). NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2008 CBAT 2008 December 20 (CBET 1626) Daniel W. E. Green