Supernova 1994D in NGC 4526

R. R. Treffers, A. V. Filippenko, and S. D. Van Dyk, University of California at Berkeley; and M. W. Richmond, Princeton University, report their discovery of a supernova in NGC 4526 (R.A. = 12h31m31s, Decl. = +7o58'.5, equinox 1950.0), located about 9" west and 7" north of the galaxy's nucleus: "The object was found on Mar. 7 UT (R = 15.2 +/- 0.5) during the Leuschner Observatory Supernova Search, which uses an automated 0.76-m telescope equipped with the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory CCD camera. Confirmation was made with an image taken through thin fog on Mar. 9, and the object appeared to be brighter than on Mar. 7. It could not be detected to a limiting magnitude of R about 17 on Mar. 1. Inspection of spectra (range 310-730 nm) obtained by A. Martel and R. W. Goodrich (University of California at Santa Cruz) on Mar. 9 UT with the Shane 3-m reflector at Lick Observatory reveals that the supernova is of type Ia, probably about 1 week prior to maximum brightness. The minimum of the Si II 635.5-nm trough is at 604 nm, yielding an expansion velocity of roughly 15 000 km/s. The continuum is very blue. This supernova could reach mag 11 to 12, since the parent galaxy is in the Virgo cluster; further observations at all wavelengths are urged."