Electronic Telegram No. 1649 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 P. Challis, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 320-850 nm) of 2008ip (cf. CBET 1641), obtained on Jan. 2 UT by M. Calkins with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a type-IIn supernova; cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra, using the "Supernova Identification" code (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024), indicates that 2008ip is simliar to SN 1998S at 2 days after explosion. NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars. (C) Copyright 2009 CBAT 2009 January 4 (CBET 1649) Daniel W. E. Green