2012CBET.3026....1L

Vladimir Lipunov, Sternberg Astronomical Institute, on behalf of the MASTER Robotic Net team, reports the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag 16.7) on three unfiltered CCD images (limiting mag 19.7) taken with the 40-cm MASTER II telescope (+ Apogee CCD Alta U16m camera) on Feb. 11.991 UT at the Kislovodsk observatory (http://observ.pereplet.ru) via the auto-detection system. The new object (designated 2012af) is located at R.A. = 15:00:30.87, Decl. = +23:55:45.1 (equinox 2000.0 presumed), which is 9".2 east and 0".7 south of the center of the presumed host galaxy (given as PGC 1696336). Nothing is visible at this position on a MASTER image from Jan. 26.07 (limiting mag 20.0). The discovery and reference images are posted at website URL http://master.sai.msu.ru/static/OT/150030.87235545.1.png.