2008CBET.1273....2R

A spectrogram (range 420-890 nm) of 2008ar, obtained on Feb. 28.29 with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (+ Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph) by S. Rostopchin and A. Westfall, shows it to be a type-Ia supernova. The data are similar to the pre-maximum spectra of normal type-Ia supernovae, such as SN 1992A (Kirshner et al. 1993, Ap.J. 415, 589), but with features significantly extended to the blue. Correcting for the SDSS redshift of the host (z = 0.026), the minimum of the Si II 635.5-nm feature is blueshifted by 14300 km/s. The Ca II infrared absorption is unusually strong, and the line minimum is blueshifted by 23600 km/s.