2008CBET.1304....1F

G. Folatelli, G. Pignata, M. Hamuy, and J. Maza, Universidad de Chile, on behalf of the Millenium Center for Supernova Studies, report that a spectrogram (range 350-920 nm) of 2008bc (cf. CBET 1301), obtained on Mar. 14.0 UT with the European Southern Observatory 3.6-m telescope (+ EFOSC2) at La Silla, shows this to be a young type-Ia supernova about a week before maximum light. Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) provides the best match to SN 2003du (Stanishev et al. 2007, A.Ap. 469, 645) at ten days before maximum. Adopting the NED recession velocity of 4523 km/s for the host galaxy (Strauss et al. 1992, Ap.J. Suppl. 83, 29), the minimum absorption of the Si II 635.5-nm line indicates an expansion velocity of about 14000 km/s. The spectrum does not show significant absorption due to Na I D at the redshift of the host galaxy.