SIMBAD references

Zhangwei Jin (Ningbo, Zhejiang, China) and Xing Gao (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China) report the discovery of a possible supernova (mag approximately 17.9) on an unfiltered 40-s survey image (limiting mag about 19.5) taken by Xing Gao in the course of the Xingming Sky Survey around Feb. 17.939 UT using a Celestron C14 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope at Mt. Nanshan. The new object is approximately located at R.A. = 15:25:08.52, Decl. = +37:57:49.4 (equinox 2000.0), which is about 30".9 east and 12".9 north of the center of UGC 9842 = PGC 55040. The variable was designated PSN J15250852+3757494 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012as based on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below. Additional magnitudes for 2012as: 1993 Apr. 17, [19.8 (Digitized Sky Survey, red plate; via Jin and Gao); 2012 Feb. 11, [19.0 (Jin and Gao); 14.915, 18.7 (Jin and Gao; pre- discovery; position end figures 08s.46, 49".4); 19.413, 17.6 (J. Brimacombe, Cairns, Australia; remotely using a 51-cm RCOS telescope + STL11K camera + luminance filter at the New Mexico Skies Observatory near Mayhill, NM, U.S.A.; position end figures 08s.58, 50".2); 22.184, 17.6 (Federica Luppi and Luca Buzzi, Varese, Italy; 0.38-m f/6.8 reflector; position end figures 08s.52, 49".7; reference stars from CMC-14 catalogue). The Xingming images are posted at website URL http://www.xjltp.com/XOSS/XM37ZJ/XM37ZJ.htm. Brimacombe's image is posted at URL http://www.flickr.com/photos/43846774@N02/6906737045/. Luppi and Buzzi have posted their image at the following website URL: http://www.astrogeo.va.it/pub/TOCP/PSN_P55040.jpg.