Hi Larry,
After you posted the first messages about the Supernova, I posted the same info in this french speaking space forum and it looks like at least one guy took a picture of M51 at roughly the same time it was reported.
The irony is one of the moderators who'd been taking lots of pictures over the years had just expressed his feelings about the usefullness of always shooting the same objects in the sky (he was kind of let down) and this shows that it sometimes pays off!
Even if we don't shoot the pictures ourselves, we can send the message and help others track the event!
And it is confirmed: Jean-Baptiste Marchetti!
Thanks, Larry.

Raoul