2010CBET.2108....1Z

W. Zheng and F. Yuan, University of Michigan; J. Vinko, University of Szeged; R. Quimby, California Institute of Technology; D. Chamarro, M. D. Sisson, N. Whallon, C. Akerlof, and S. B. Pandey, University of Michigan; J. C. Wheeler and E. Chatzopoulos, University of Texas; and G. H. Marion Texas A&M University and University of Texas, on behalf of the ROTSE collaboration, report the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag about 18.0), discovered in unfiltered images taken on 2009 Dec. 15.47 UT with the 0.45-m ROTSE-IIIb telescope at McDonald Observatory. The transient was monitored for the subsequent 12 days or so, and on Dec. 27.43 its magnitude was about 17.3. SN 2009np is located at R.A. = 12:27:06.62, Decl. = +6:25:33.3 (equinox 2000.0; uncertainty about 1"), which is 0".04 east and 0".01 north of the center of the host galaxy (SDSS J122706.61+062533.3; z = 0.0255). A finding chart for the new object can be found at the following website URL: http://www.rotse.net/rsvp/j122706.6+062533/j122706.6+062533.jpg. The unfiltered light curve showed an unusual double-peaked shape with a secondary maximum occuring on Dec. 26.