Supernova 1990ai in Anonymous Galaxy

C. Pollas, Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, reports his discovery on a film exposed Nov. 26.08 UT of a supernova (mag about 19.5) located at R.A. = 7h17m11s.29, Decl. = +21 59'57".3 (equinox 1950.0). Two nearby galaxies are host candidates, one more compact and less diffuse than the other; there are many faint, starlike galaxies in this area. The galaxy positions are R.A. = 7h17m11s.15, Decl. = +22 00'01".2; R.A. = 7h17m11s.43, Decl. = +21 59'54".2. A nearby star is located at R.A. = 7h17m12s.76, Decl. = +21 59'15".2. A. V. Filippenko and J. C. Shields, University of California at Berkeley; and R. G. Eastman and E. Regos, University of California at Santa Cruz, report that a CCD spectrum (range 390-710 nm, resolution 1.5 nm) obtained on Dec. 17 UT with the Shane 3-m reflector at Lick Observatory shows that the object is probably a type-Ib (or Ic) supernova not long past maximum brightness.