Electronic Telegram No. 1641 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 2008ip IN NGC 4846 S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports the discovery by Takao Kobayashi (Oizumi, Gunma-ken, Japan) of an apparent supernova (mag 15.7) on numerous unfiltered CCD frames (limiting magnitude 18.5) taken around 2008 Dec. 31.75 UT using a 0.41-m f/4.3 reflector. Kobayashi found the star to be slightly brighter (mag 15.5) on Jan. 1.627. The new object is located at R.A. = 12h57m50s.20 +/- 0s.01, Decl. = +36o22'33".5 +/- 0".1 (equinox 2000.0; average of images from the two nights), which is 30" east and 18" north of the center of NGC 4846. Nothing is visible at this position on Kobayashi's past frames taken on 2003 Feb. 27, 2004 Jan. 1, and 2006 Jan. 2 (limiting mag 18.5). Nakano adds that K. Kadota (Ageo, Japan, 0.25-m f/5 reflector) found 2008ip at mag 15.6 and position end figures 50s.17, 33".4 on an unfiltered CCD image taken on Jan. 1.736; also, K. Itagaki (Yamagata, Japan, 0.30-m f/7.8 reflector + unfiltered CCD camera at Takanezawa station) reports mag 15.8 and position end figures 50s.18, 33".1 for 2008ip on Jan. 1.741. Following posting on the Central Bureau's unconfirmed-objects webpage, D. Denisenko, S. Korotkiy, and T. Kryachko (Moscow) report mag 16.1 and position end figures 50s.18, 33".3 for 2008ip from an unfiltered CCD image obtained on Jan. 2.03 with an 80-mm f/7.5 refractor; they have posted an image of 2008ip at the following website URL: http://pics.livejournal.com/bigdenru/pic/00058p7p/ NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT 2009 January 2 (CBET 1641) Daniel W. E. Green