| SUPERNOVA
2011A IN NGC 4902
G. Pignata and M. Cifuentes, Universidad Andres Bello;
J. Maza, M. Hamuy, R. Antezana, L. Gonzalez, R. Cartier,
F. Forster, S. Silva, and F. Carrasco, Universidad de
Chile; P. Gonzalez, Pontificia Universidad Catolica
de Chile; B. Conuel, Wesleyan University; G. Folatelli,
IPMU, University of Tokyo; and D. Reichart, K. Ivarsen,
J. Haislip, A. Crain, D. Foster, M. Nysewander, and
A. LaCluyze, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, on behalf of the CHASE project, report the discovery
of an apparent supernova (mag approximately 16.9) on
an unfiltered image taken on Jan. 2.30 UT with the 0.41-m
'PROMPT 4' telescope located at Cerro Tololo. The new
object, which was confirmed at mag approximately 16.6
on images taken with the same telescope on Jan. 5.27
and 7.31, is located at R.A. = 13h01m01s.19 +/- 0".2,
Decl. = -14°31'34".8 +/- 0".2 (equinox 2000.0), which
is about 21".3 east and 46".5 south of center of the
galaxy NGC 4902. Nothing is visible at this position
on archival images taken on 2010 May 1.18 and July 13.05
(limiting mag 18.5). SNe 1979E (cf. IAUC 3395) and 1991X
(cf. IAUC 5258, 5263, 5288) also appeared in NGC 4902.
M. Stritzinger, Oskar Klein Centre, Stockholm University;
J. L. Prieto and N. Morrell, Carnegie Observatories;
and G. Pignata, Universidad Andres Bello, report that
they obtained optical spectra of 2011A on Jan. 4.2 and
4.7 UT with the du Pont telescope (+ WFCCD) and the
Gemini North telescope (+ GMOS). This variable appears
to be a type-IIn supernova, most similar to supernova
2005cl (Kiewe et al. 2010, http://lanl.arxiv.org/abs/1010.2689).
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