2005IAUC.8474....4T

R. C. Thomas, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, writes on behalf of the 'Nearby Supernova Factory' that a spectrogram (range 330-990 nm) of SN 2005M (IAUC 8470), obtained Jan. 24.52 UT with the University of Hawaii 2.2-m telescope (+ SuperNova Integral Field Spectrograph), shows it to be a type-Ia supernova that is most similar to SN 1991T at about 12 days before maximum. Weak Ca II H and K and Fe III features are evident. The spectrum is very blue and lacks interstellar Na I D, indicating very little or no extinction.