2009CBET.2017....2K

E. Kankare and J. Datson, Nordic Optical Telescope; S. Mattila, Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku; and A. Pastorello, Queen's University, Belfast, report that they obtained a low-resolution spectrum of 2009la on Nov. 15.1 UT with the Nordic Optical Telescope (+ ALFOSC; range 320-910 nm). The spectrum shows 2009la to be a type-Ia supernova a few days before maximum light. Comparison of the observed spectrum with a library of supernova spectra using the "GELATO" code (Harutyunyan et al. 2008, A.Ap. 488, 383), gives a good match with the spectum of SN 1992A at five days before maximum. A close match is also found with the slightly underluminous type-Ia supernova 2004eo at seven days before the maximum. Adopting a host-galaxy recession velocity of 6111 km/s (Mathewson et al. 1992, Ap.J. Suppl. 81, 413), the Si II 635.5-nm absorption minimum is measured to be blue-shifted by roughly 13000 km/s. The measured R-band magnitude of 15.8 for 2009la corresponds to an absolute magnitude of -18.9, assuming a distance of 84 Mpc (H_o = 73 km/s/Mpc) and a Galactic extinction of A_R = 0.1 (Schlegel et al. 1998, Ap.J. 500, 525).