2008CBET.1274....1B

S. Blondin, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 350-740 nm) of 2008ao (cf. CBET 1269), obtained on Feb. 29.13 UT by G. Narayan with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a type-Ic supernova around maximum light. Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) indicates that 2008ao is most similar to the type-Ic supernova 1994I at maximum light. Narrow emission lines are detected from the host galaxy at a redshift of cz = 4473 ± 15 km/s, consistent with the published recession velocity for this galaxy (4606 km/s; from The Updated Zwicky Catalogue, http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/uzc/).