SIMBAD references

J. Newton and T. Puckett report the discovery of an apparent supernova (mag 17.4) on an unfiltered CCD image (limiting mag 19.1) taken with a 0.40-m reflector at Portal, AZ, U.S.A., on Feb. 21.5291 UT in the course of the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search. The new object, which was confirmed at mag 17.4 on Feb. 22.543 by Puckett with the 40-cm reflector at Portal, is located at R.A. = 17:24:10.23, Decl. = +59:00:06.9 (equinox 2000.0), which is 16".3 east and 24".2 north of the center of NGC 6373. Nothing is visible at this position on images taken by Puckett on 2011 Mar. 21 (limiting mag 19.2). The variable was designated PSN J17241023+5900069 when it was posted at the Central Bureau's TOCP webpage and is here designated SN 2012an based on the spectroscopic confirmation reported below. The discoverers posted an image of 2012an at URL http://www.possdata.com/PSNJ17241023+5900069.jpg. Additional CCD magnitudes for 2012an (unfiltered unless noted otherwise): Feb. 22.191, 17.0 (F. Luppi and L. Buzzi, Varese, Italy; 0.38-m reflector; position end figures 10s.28, 06".5; reference stars from the NOMAD catalogue; image posted at website URL http://www.astrogeo.va.it/pub/TOCP/PSN_N6373.jpg); 22.501, 17.1 (L. Elenin, Lyubertsy, Russia; and I. Molotov, Moscow, Russia; remotely with a 0.45-m f/2.8 telescope at the ISON-NM Observatory near Mayhill, NM, USA; position end figures 10s.26, 06".2; NOMAD reference stars; limiting mag about 20.2); 22.516, 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 10s.32, 06".1; image posted at URL http://www.flickr.com/photos/43846774@N02/6775323836/). The type-II supernova 2001ad also appeared in NGC 6373 (cf. IAUCs 7596, 7597).