Supernova 1996ai in NGC 5005
Abstract
A. V. Filippenko, University of California (UC) at Berkeley, reports: "Preliminary inspection of an uncalibrated, somewhat noisy CCD spectrum (range 360-760 nm), obtained by N. P. Vogt (UC, Santa Cruz) and M. A. Bershady (Pennsylvania State University) on June 20 UT with the Lick Observatory 3-m Shane reflector, suggests that SN 1996ai (IAUC 6422) is a supernova, probably of type Ia prior to maximum brightness. There is a broad absorption trough at 614 nm, the defining feature of type-Ia supernovae, but this might instead be redshifted H-alpha absorption in a type-II object (although the corresponding H-alpha emission line is weak or absent). No other deep features are visible; weak ones are consistent with the type- Ia classification. The object appears to be quite red, perhaps due to extinction; a relatively strong (EW = 0.3 +/- 0.1 nm), narrow Na D absorption line at the redshift of the host galaxy is visible. Crude CCD magnitude estimates from H. Teplitz (UC, Los Angeles) on June 20 with the Lick 1-m Nickel telescope: B = 16.5, V = 15.0, R = 14.5, I = 13.5."
- Publication:
-
International Astronomical Union Circular
- Pub Date:
- June 1996
- Bibcode:
- 1996IAUC.6423....1F