Supernova 1999em in NGC 1637

W. D. Li, University of California at Berkeley, on behalf of the Lick Observatory Supernova Search, report the discovery, on an unfiltered CCD frame taken on Oct. 29.44 UT with the 0.8-m Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope, of a supernova (mag about 13.5) located at R.A. = 4h41m27s.04, Decl. = -2 51'45".2 (equinox 2000.0), which is 15".2 west and 25".1 north of the nucleus of NGC 1637. SN 1999em was confirmed at the Beijing Astronomical Observatory on Oct. 29.7. A KAIT image of the same field on Oct. 20.45 showed nothing at the position of SN 1999em (limiting mag about 19.0).