2009CBET.1670....1N

S. Nakano, Sumoto, Japan, reports the discovery by Koichi Itagaki (Teppo-cho, Yamagata) of an apparent supernova (mag 16.6) on unfiltered 30-s CCD frames (limiting mag 19.0) taken on Jan. 24.86 and 25.616 UT using a 0.30-m f/7.8 reflector at his Takanezawa station (Tochigi-ken). The new object is located at R.A. = 12h31m09s.46 ± 0s.01, Decl. = -8o02'56".3 ± 0".2 (equinox 2000.0), which is 75" east and 18" north of the center of NGC 4487. Nothing is visible at this position on Itagaki's images taken on 2006 Dec. 19 (limiting magnitude 19.5) and 2009 Jan. 3 (limiting mag 18), nor on the Digitized Sky Survey. Itagaki adds that a nearby foreground star of mag 18 has position end figures 09s.46, 46".9. Nakano adds that an unfiltered confirming CCD image of 2009N taken by K. Kadota (Ageo, Japan, 0.25-m f/5 reflector on Jan. 25.632 yields mag 15.8 and position end figures 09s.42, 56".3. Following posting on the Central Bureau's unconfirmed-objects webpage, L. Buzzi, Varese, Italy, writes that unfiltered CCD images (resolution 1".5/pixel; limiting magnitude 18) taken on Jan. 25.153 with a 0.60-m f/4.6 reflector through passing clouds show 2009N at mag 16.0 and position end figures 09s.44, 56".3 (or 76" east and 18" north of the center of NGC 4487); Buzzi adds that no star is visible at this position on red, infrared, and blue Palomar Sky Survey plates (the nearest star being 10".6 west and 3".0 north of the position of 2009N).