2011CBET.2908....1C

Giancarlo Cortini, Predappio, Italy, reports his discovery of an apparent supernova (mag 17.3) on several CCD images (limiting mag 19.0) taken with a Celestron 14 telescope on Nov. 16.78 UT. The new object is located at R.A. = 4:45:05.26, Decl. = +72:47:02.6 (equinox 2000.0), which is 4" west and 1" south of the center of UGC 3131; he notes that nothing is visible at this position on Palomar Sky Survey red or blue plates (no limiting magnitudes or dates provided) or on his earlier images to limiting mag 19.0 (no dates provided). The variable was designated PSN J04450526+7247025 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2011hy based on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below. Additional unfiltered CCD magnitudes for 2011hy: Nov. 16.959, 17.9 (Federica Luppi and Luca Buzzi, Varese, Italy; 0.38-m f/6.8 reflector; position end figures 05s.08, 01".7; reference stars from the NOMAD catalogue; image posted at website URL http://www.astrogeo.va.it/pub/TOCP/PSN_U3131.jpg); 17.735, 16.5 (Nick James, Chelmsford, Essex, England; Celestron 11 telescope + ST9-XE camera; position end figures 05s.14, 01".4; UCAC-3 reference stars).