Supernova 1997dp in NGC 969

L. Arnold, Observatoire de Haute-Provence, reports the discovery of an apparent supernova by Denis Christen, Hesingue, France, on unfiltered CCD images taken with a 0.3-m telescope on Nov. 1.10 and 1.93 UT, at magnitudes 17.8 +/- 0.4 and 17.9 +/- 0.4, respectively. The supernova is located at R.A. = 2h34m06s.48, Decl. = +32o56'13".4 (equinox 2000.0), which is 22" west and 36" south of the center of NGC 969. The object is absent from several photographic atlses, including the Digital Sky Survey. The Nov. 1.10 image (the sum of four 3-min frames; limiting mag about 20) is available at http://www.obs-hp.fr/~arnold/NGC969.JPG. G. M. Hurst, Basingstoke, England, reports that prediscovery images of SN 1997dp (measured position end figures 06s.48, 13".8) were recognized by M. Armstrong, Rolvenden, Kent, on a 'patrol master' frame obtained on Sept. 10.1 (mag 16), as well as on frames taken on Sept. 28 and Oct. 14 (mag about 17). S. Jha, P. Challis, P. Garnavich, and R. Kirshner, Harvard- Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, report that SN 1997dp is a type-Ia supernova, about 6 weeks past maximum, based on a spectrum taken by Jha and Challis at the Multiple Mirror Telescope on Nov. 4.2 UT. The spectral features of the supernova are consistent with the de Vaucouleurs' catalogue recession velocity for NGC 969 of 4500 km/s.