2011CBET.2764....2M

D. Milisavljevic and R. Fesen, Dartmouth College; K. Nordsieck, University of Wisconsin; and T. Pickering and D. O'Donoghue, South African Astronomical Observatory, on behalf of a larger SALT Commissioning Team, report that low-dispersion spectra (range 320-890 nm), obtained on July 10.1 UT with the 10-m SALT telescope (+ RSS), show PSN J01573658-5748008 = SN 2011eb to be a type-Ia supernova. Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) shows matches with normal type-Ia events around maximum light. After correcting for the recession velocity 6098 km/s (Wong et al. 2006, MNRAS 371, 1855; via NED) of its host galaxy NGC 782, the velocity of the Si II 635.5-nm feature is estimated to be approximately 11000 km/s.