2012CBET.3030....1N

J. Newton and T. Puckett report the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag 16.9) on an unfiltered CCD image (limiting mag 19.1) taken with a 0.40-m reflector at Portal, AZ, U.S.A., on Feb. 21.4941 UT in the course of the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search. The new object, which was confirmed at mag 16.9 on Feb. 22.543 by Puckett with the 40-cm reflector at Portal, is located at R.A. = 16:27:03.96, Decl. = +51:36:49.8 (equinox 2000.0), which is 7".4 west and 0".1 south of the center of PGC 214498. Nothing is visible at this position on images taken by Puckett on 2011 Mar. 17 (limiting mag 19.0). The variable was designated PSN J16270396+5136498 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012aj based on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below. Puckett has posted an image of 2012aj at URL http://www.possdata.com/PSNJ16270396+5136498.jpg. Unfiltered CCD images (limiting mag about 18.5) taken by L. Elenin (Lyubertsy, Russia) and I. Molotov (Moscow, Russia) on Feb. 22.35 remotely with a 0.45-m f/2.8 telescope in strong wind at the ISON-NM Observatory near Mayhill, NM, USA, yield mag about 16.1 and position end figures 04s.02, 49".3.