2008CBET.1499....1C

P. Challis, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 350-740 nm) of 2008fi (cf. CBET 1493), obtained on Sept. 4 UT by W. Peters with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a type-IIb supernova at about maximum light. Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) indicates that 2008fi is most similar to a spectrum of the type-IIb supernova 1997dd (cf. IAUCs 6724, 6725, 6742) taken on 1997 Sept. 6 (Matheson et al. 2001, A.J. 121, 1648). The spectrum shows general agreement to other type-IIb supernovae around maximum light.