2012CBET.3217....1M

H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory, reports the discovery by Blaz Mikuz at Crni Vrh Observatory of an apparent supernova (mag 18.3) on four unfiltered CCD images (bandpass roughly equivalent to the R band) taken during Sept. 9.895-9.935 UT with the 60-cm f/3.3 Cichocki reflector in the course of the Comet and Asteroid Search Program (PIKA). The object is located at R.A. = 22:44:01.66, Decl. = +15:51:49.3 (equinox 2000.0), which is 14" west and 29" south of the center of PGC 69614; the discovery image is posted at URL http://www.observatorij.org/vstars/PSN20120909/PSNJ22440166+1551493.jpg. Nothing is visible at this position on archival PIKA images obtained on six nights between 2005 June 16 and 2011 Aug. 2 (limiting mag about 19.0-19.5) or on several Digitized Sky Survey red and blue images from the Palomar Sky Survey. The variable was designated PSN J22440166+1551493 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012em based on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below. Additional CCD magnitudes for 2012em: Sept. 10.891, R = 17.9 ± 0.3 (J. Vales and S. Maticic; 60-cm f/3.3 Cichocki telescope at Crni Vrh Observatory; communicated by B. Mikuz); 11.185, 18.2 (R. A. Koff, Bennett, CO, USA; Meade 0.25-m f/10 reflector + Apogee U-47 camera; limiting magnitude 19.5; position end figures 01s.68, 49".8; UCAC3 reference stars); 11.387, 17.7 (L. Elenin, Lyubertsy, Russia; and I. Molotov, Moscow, Russia; remotely taken with a 0.45-m f/2.8 telescope located at the ISON-NM Observatory near Mayhill, NM, USA; position end figures 01s.67 ± 0".1, 49".6 ± 0".2; NOMAD reference stars; limiting mag about 19.1).