2003IAUC.8066....4M

Further to IAUC 8064, T. Matheson, P. Challis, and R. Kirshner report that a spectrum (range 370-750 nm) of SN 2003ae, obtained by M. Calkins on Feb. 6.29 UT with the 1.5-m telescope, shows it to be a type-Ia supernova before maximum: "Narrow emission lines superposed on the spectrum of the supernova indicate a recession velocity of 9600 km/s for the host galaxy. Using this value, the supernova expansion velocity is about 13400 km/s for Si II (rest 635.5 nm). The spectral-feature age of the supernova is 7 ± 2 days before maximum light; note that the discovery image was taken fourteen days before this spectrum. Photometry to determine the date of maximum would be most useful to constrain the rise time of type-Ia supernovae."