2011CBET.2871....1J

Zhangwei Jin (Ningbo, Zhejiang, China) and Xing Gao (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China) report the discovery of a possible supernova (mag approximately 15.8) on a 40-s unfiltered CCD survey image (limiting mag about 19.5) taken by Xing Gao in the course of the Xingming Observation Sky Survey around Oct. 22.795 UT using a 0.35-m f/6.9 Celestron C14 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. The new object is approximately located at R.A. = 3:29:35.30, Decl. = +40:52:02.9 (equinox 2000.0), which is about 2".3 east and 5".1 south of the center of the galaxy UGC 2756 = MCG +7-8-15 = PGC 12982. Nothing is visible at this position on archival images taken at Mt. Nanshan on Oct. 6 (limiting mag 19.0) and 8 (limiting mag 19.5) or on a Digitized Sky Survey red plate from 1989 Sept. 29 (limiting mag about 19.8). Their images have been posted at the following website URL: http://www.xjltp.com/XOSS/XM24ZJ/XM24ZJ.htm. The variable was designated as PSN J03293530+4052029 when it was posted on the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2011gy based on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below.