2012CBET.3022....1V

J. Vinko, University of Szeged; W. Zheng, University of Michigan; G. H. Marion, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; R. Quimby, IPMU, University of Tokyo; N. Whallon, A. Romadan, and C. Akerlof, University of Michigan; F. Yuan, Australian National University; and J. C. Wheeler and E. Chatzopoulos, University of Texas, on behalf of the ROTSE collaboration, report the discovery of a new supernova (mag about 15.8) in unfiltered images taken on Jan. 31.35 UT with the 0.45-m ROTSE-IIIb telescope at McDonald Observatory. The new object is located at R.A. = 12:22:47.6, Decl. = +5:36:25.0 (equinox 2000.0; uncertainty about 1"), which lies at the core center of the proposed host galaxy (SDSS J122247.61+053624.2, whose SDSS redshift is z = 0.018); a finding chart is posted at the following website URL: http://www.rotse.net/rsvp/j122247.6+053625/ROTSE3_J122247.6+053625.jpg. There is no detection at the same position before Jan. 30, down to a limiting magnitude of about 17.0. Additional approximate magnitudes for 2012ab: Feb. 1.35, 15.5; Feb. 2.35, 15.3; Feb. 14.4, 15.3; Feb. 15.5, 15.5; Feb. 16.5, 15.4.