2012CBET.2983....2O

A spectrum, obtained on Jan. 16.38 UT with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (+ Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph) by S. Odewahn, shows that 2012G is a type-Ia supernova about one week before maximum brightness. According to SNID (Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024), the spectrum resembles that of SN 2003kf at nine days before maximum. Adopting a redshift of 0.025, measured from host-galaxy emission lines, the velocity from the absorption minimum of the Si II 635.5-nm feature is 10500 km/s. The Ca II infrared-triplet feature displays a high-velocity component at 22500 km/s.