2004IAUC.8311....3M

T. Matheson, P. Challis, and R. Kirshner, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, report that a spectrum (range 370-750 nm) of SN 2004aw (cf. IAUC 8310), obtained by P. Berlind on Mar. 21.29 UT with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST spectrograph), shows it to be a supernova of type I, but the exact classification is uncertain. The spectrum has peaks near 400, 450, 505, 570, and 710 nm; there is an absorption feature near 610 nm. The spectrum shows a strong similarity with both the type-Ia supernova 2001V at day -14 and the peculiar type-Ic supernova 2003jd at early times.