Discovery and spectral classification of SN 2017ixh in NGC2297
ATel #11085; Patrick Pearl, Greg Bock, Peter Marples and Stuart Parker (on behalf of the BOSS collaboration), Nidia Morrell (Las Campanas Observatory), Ben Shappee (U. of Hawaii) and Maria Drout (Hubble Fellow, Carnegie Observatories).
on 23 Dec 2017; 15:58 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Supernovae
Credential Certification: Nidia Morrell (nmorrell@lco.cl)
Subjects: Optical, Supernovae
We announce the discovery of SN2017ixh, RA 06h44m26.5s, DEC -63:42:40, in NGC 2297, first imaged on Dec. 15.54 UT, by Patrick Pearl, at an unfiltered magnitude of 17. The transient was reported to the Transient Name Server (TNS) by Greg Bock, receiving the denomination of AT 2017ixh.
On Dec. 17.33 UT we obtained optical spectroscopy (range 370-920 nm) of AT 2017ixh with the 2.5-m du Pont telescope (+WFCCD) at Las Campanas Observatory. The spectrum of AT 2017ixh is that of a type Ic supernova, probably several days after maximum brightness. Cross correlation with a library of supernova spectra via the Supernova Identification tool (SNID, Blondin and Tonry, 2007, ApJ 666, 1024) yields good matches with many type Ic supernovae between zero and ten days from maximum light, being the most similar SN1997ei at 11 days past maximum. Strong nebular emission at the redshift of the host is superimposed on the supernova spectrum.
Note that a previous spectroscopic report as 'Galaxy' (ATel #11069) given to this transient was most probably due to a mistake in the coordinates originally uploaded to the TNS.
