OPTICAL-SPECTRA OF THE SUPERNOVA 1994I IN M51 AROUND THE MAXIMUM LIGHT PHASE

We present the optical spectra of supernova 1994I which occurred in M5 1. The observations were made during a period from a premaximum phase 10 hr after the discovery to one week past the maximum light. The earl iest spectrum was a continuum with broad and shallow absorption featur es. The spectrum showed considerable evolution with time, the continuu m becoming redder and the absorption features becoming more pronounced . Since the spectra closely resemble those of SN 1983I and 1983V, we c lassify SN 1994I as being Type-Ic. The absorption features were identi fied following theoretical spectra. Some results from an analysis of t he interstellar Na I D absorption line in M51 are also presented.