2002IAUC.8015....2H

M. Hamuy, Carnegie Observatories, writes that a spectrum (range 320-930 nm) of SN 2002hw (cf. IAUC 8014), obtained on Nov. 11.05 UT with the Las Campanas Baade 6.5-m telescope (+ Boller & Chivens spectrograph), shows it to be a type-Ia supernova near maximum light. Adopting the NED redshift of 5257 km/s, the minimum of the Si II 633.5-nm absorption yields an expansion velocity of 11500 km/s. Na I D absorption at the redshift of the host galaxy is observed with an equivalent width of 0.26 nm, which suggests significant reddening.