2004IAUC.8385....3B

H. E. Bond and M. H. Siegel, STSI, report that the site of SN 2004dj was imaged on three nights in 1999 January with the Kitt Peak 4-m telescope (+ Mosaic camera) and on six nights in 1998- 1999 with the Kitt Peak 0.9-m telescope. Recent CCD frames showing the supernova (provided by Y. Lipkin, D. Maoz, E. Ofek, and D. Poznanski of Wise Observatory; R. Arbour of South Wonston, Hampshire, England; D. Bishop of Hilton, NY; and O. Nielsen of Rijswijk, The Netherlands), when compared with 1999 4-m-telescope frames, indicate that SN 2004dj is within 0".3 of Sandage's star 96, and no other star visible in the 4-m-telescope frames is as close to the supernova position. Star 96 is one of the brightest blue supergiants known in NGC 2403; the 0.9-m-telescope CCD frames yield V = 17.93 and B-V = +0.17. Humphreys and Aaronson (1987, A.J. 94, 1156) obtained spectra of star 96 and classified it as having a composite spectrum with an integrated early-A type but with He I lines, suggesting the presence of some B stars, as well; the object appears slightly nonstellar on the 4-m-telescope frames in 0".9 seeing.