SIMBAD references

W. Li and A. V. Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley (UCB); and S. D. Van Dyk, Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, report: "We have identified a progenitor candidate for the type II-P supernova 2004dj (cf. IAUC 8377, 8378, 8384, 8385) in multiband images obtained at the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) by Larsen and Richtler (1999, A.Ap. 345, 59), under good (0".8) seeing conditions. This star, with V = 21.1 and V-I = +1.4, is 0".3 southwest of the radio position of the supernova (cf. IAUC 8379). Assuming little reddening toward the supernova, other than Galactic (Schlegel et al. 1998, Ap.J. 500, 525), and assuming a true distance modulus of 27.48 mag (Freedman et al. 2001, Ap.J. 553, 47), this corresponds to an extinction- corrected absolute V magnitude of -6.5 and an unreddened V-I color of +1.3. The color and magnitude are consistent with a red supergiant with initial mass of about 17 solar masses. A brighter object to the northeast, Sandage's 'star' 96 (cf. IAUC 8385), is within 0".5 of the reported optical position of SN 2004dj (cf. IAUC 8377) but is 1".0 west and 1".2 south of the radio position. The profile of 'star' 96 appears nonstellar in the I-band NOT image. We consider it less likely that 'star' 96 is the progenitor of this supernova and suggest that definitive identification of the progenitor will only be possible when high-resolution images of SN 2004dj become available."