2011CBET.2640....2P

J. Parrent, D. A. Howell, R. Ellis, A. Gal-Yam, and P. E. Nugent, on behalf of the "Palomar Transient Factory" group (http://www.astro.caltech.edu/ptf/), report that a CCD spectrum (range 350-800 nm) was taken on the Gemini North telescope on Jan. 22 UT, revealing that SN 2011M = PSN J05004155+6214386 is a type-Ia supernova. Comparisons to other spectra using "Superfit" (Howell et al. 2005, Ap.J. 634, 1190) indicate a close match to that of SN 1989B, at five days before maximum light.