2003IAUC.8150....3G

P. Garnavich, University of Notre Dame; and E. Bass, Cornell University, obtained near-infrared spectra (range 850-2400 nm) of SN 2003gd in twilight on June 13.46 UT with the 1.8-m Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (+ CorMASS spectrograph; low- dispersion echelle design). Preliminary reduction of the J-band order shows strong, broad emission of Paschen_beta and Paschen_gamma, which confirms that this is a supernova and indicates it to be a type-II event.