2006CBET..678....1Q

R. Quimby and J. C. Wheeler, University of Texas, report that a spectrum (range 420-890 nm), obtained on Oct. 18.17 UT with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (+ Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph) by J. Caldwell and S. Rostopchin, shows 2006je (cf. CBET 675) to be a peculiar type-Ia supernova. The spectrum is similar to that of SN 1991bg around maximum light, but with deeper absorption around 475 and 510 nm, and relatively higher flux around 550nm and in the emission component of the Si II 635.5-nm P-Cyg profile. Correcting to the rest frame of the host galaxy (z = 0.038; Wegner et al. 1999, MNRAS 305, 259), the expansion velocity derived from the minimum of the Si II 635.5-nm feature is 10200 km/s. Quimby and Wheeler add that 2006je was at mag about 17.8 on unfiltered CCD images taken on Oct. 17.17 and 18.16 with the 0.45-m ROTSE-IIIb telescope at the McDonald Observatory (independent discovery); they note that the available photometry is consistent with a subluminous type-Ia supernova at this redshift.