2008CBET.1260....2D

A. Dimai, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on behalf of the CROSS program (cf. IAUC 7373), reports the independent discovery of 2008ak (at mag about 16.7; later revised to 17.5) by Elisa Londero (Gemona, Italy) in two unfiltered CCD images (limiting magnitude about 18.5) taken with the 0.5-m "Ullrich" telescope of the Col Drusci Observatory on Feb. 13.75 UT, providing position end figures 24s.76, 51".0 (offset about 14" east and 0".5 south of the galaxy's nucleus). Confirming images (limiting mag 19.0) on Feb. 15.75 yield mag about 17.0 for 2008ak; position end figures provided with the confirmation e-mail are 25s.15, 48".2 (offset 14" east, 1".5 south). CROSS images of the same field taken on 2007 Dec. 19 showed nothing at this position (limiting mag about 19.0), and it does not appear on Palomar Sky Survey infrared, red, and blue plates.