2012CBET.3007....2B

Greg Bock, Windaroo, Queensland, Australia, reports the discovery by Peter Marples (Loganhomle, Queensland) of an apparent supernova (mag 14.9) on unfiltered CCD images taken on Jan. 20.45 and 20.466 UT with a 30-cm Meade f/7 LX200R reflector (+ Starlight Xpress camera; limiting mag 18.5). The new object is located at R.A. = 2:06:04.33, Decl. = -55:11:37.5 (equinox 2000.0), which is 8" east and 2" south of the nucleus of the galaxy PGC 8012 (measurements by Bock). Nothing is visible at this position on Digitized Sky Survey red, blue, or infrared plates (limiting red magnitude > 19). The variable was designated PSN J02060433-5511375 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012U based on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below.