2011CBET.2669....1K

A. Kroes, J. Newton, and T. Puckett report the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag 17.1) on an unfiltered CCD image (limiting mag 19.0) taken with a 0.40-m reflector at Portal, AZ, U.S.A., on Mar. 3.434 UT in the course of the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search. The new object is located at R.A. = 11:53:51.03, Decl. = +33:21:46.3 (equinox 2000.0), which is 2".9 east and 9".9 south of the center of IC 2973. When the presumed supernova was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage, it was assigned the designation PSN J11535103+3321463; based on the spectroscopic report below, it is here given the designation SN 2011ao. Additional unfiltered CCD magnitudes for 2011ao: Feb. 11, [19.1 (Puckett); Mar. 4.344, 16.7 (Puckett); Mar. 5.514, 15.6 (J. Brimacombe, Cairns, Australia; remotely using a 51-cm RCOS telescope + STL11K camera at New Mexico Skies Observatory, Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.; position end figures 51s.01, 46".2). Brimacombe has posted his image at website URL http://www.flickr.com/photos/43846774@N02/5499034377/. The peculiar type-Ic supernova 1991A also appeared in IC 2973 (cf. IAUCs 5153, 5155, 5169).