2011CBET.2898....2F

R. J. Foley, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; and D. Kasen and A. V. Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley, report that a CCD spectrum (range 310-1020 nm), obtained on Oct. 31 UT with the Keck I 10-m telescope (+ LRIS), shows that PSN J11441295+3330581 = SN 2011ho is a type-Ia supernova near maximum brightness. The spectrum exhibits a large Si II 597.2-nm/635.5-nm ratio, indicating a cooler photosphere and a lower luminosity. The spectrum is similar to that of SN 1986G at -3 days (Phillips et al. 1987, PASP 99, 592), but it also resembles spectra of the more typical type-Ia supernovae 1992A and 2004eo at a similar epoch. After removing the recession velocity of 9520 km/s (obtained from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey), the minimum of the Si II 635.5-nm feature is blueshifted by 11700 km/s.