2010CBET.2534....2V

J. Vinko, University of Szeged; J. C. Wheeler and E. Chatzopoulos, University of Texas; and G. H. Marion, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and University of Texas, report that a spectrogram of 2010jk was obtained on Nov. 4.11 UT with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (+ Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph) by M. Shetrone. The spectrum shows a blue continuum with no obvious spectral features, except a few noisy peaks between 780 and 850 nm. The lack of broad features prevents unambiguous identification, but the appearance of the spectrum is consistent with that of a very young type-II (probably a type-IIn) supernova. The SuperNova IDentification code (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) gives SN 1997cy (cf. IAUC 6708) as the best resembling template (without the broad H-alpha component) at z = 0.28. If this were the correct redshift, then the measured apparent magnitude of 20.0 would correspond to absolute magnitude -20.3, which may suggest an over-luminous type-IIn supernova. Further monitoring of this interesting object is encouraged.