SIMBAD references

R. J. Foley, W. Li, M. Moore, D. S. Wong, D. Pooley, and A. V. Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley, report that inspection of CCD spectra (range 330-1040 nm), obtained on Oct. 24 UT with the Lick 3-m telescope (+ Kast), shows that SN 2006gy (IAUC 8754) is most likely a supernova of type IIn and not an active galactic nucleus (as reported by Prieto et al. on CBET 648). KAIT images of the object show that it is 1" from the nucleus of the galaxy, corresponding to a projected distance of 400 pc. Furthermore, the absence of high-excitation narrow emission lines in the spectrum casts doubt on the AGN classification. The high luminosity (absolute V magnitude, M_V = -22, after correcting for 1.5 mag of extinction), and the long rise time of 55 days to maximum brightness, may indicate a new phenomenon. However, there are a few other known type-IIn supernovae with unusually high luminosities and slow light curves.