SIMBAD references

R. Quimby, P. Mondol, P. Hoeflich, and J. C. Wheeler, University of Texas; and C. Gerardy, Imperial College, report the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag about 18.5) in unfiltered CCD images taken on Mar. 3.30 and 4.29 UT using the 0.45-m ROTSE-IIIb telescope at the McDonald Observatory. The new object is located at R.A. = 13h01m14s.84, Dec. = +27o43'31".4 (equinox 2000.0), which is 3".5 west and 3".4 north of the apparent host galaxy. ROTSE-IIIb co-added images taken between 2004 Dec. 15 and 2005 Jan. 14 (limiting mag about 18.8) show nothing at this position; there is clearly a new point source that is absent on the Digitized Sky Survey. A spectrum (range 430-890 nm) of SN 2005ap, obtained on Mar. 7.46 with the 9.2-m Hobby/Eberly Telescope (+ Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph) by B. Roman and V. Riley, shows a flat continuum with broad absorption at 526 and 557 nm, and there are no features that would suggest a Galactic source. The spectrum is similar to the recent CfA spectrum of 2005an (cf. IAUC 8491), but of higher S/N; as with 2005an, Quimby et al. believe that SN 2005ap is an early type-II supernova, but given the general lack of distinct features, they cannot associate it with a template.