[AAVSO-HEN] GRB 051221: IR Observations at GRB+1hr

[grb at aavso.org]

The following is a GCN Circular circulated via the AAVSO network.
For an archive and more information on circulars visit:
http://lheawww.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/gamcosray/legr/bacodine/gcn3_archive.html

TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  4364
SUBJECT: GRB 051221: IR Observations at GRB+1hr
DATE:    05/12/21 04:45:45 GMT
FROM:    Josh Bloom at UC Berkeley  <jbloom at astron.berkeley.edu>

J. S. Bloom (UC Berkeley), on behalf of a larger collaboration, reports:

"We began observations of the bright short burst GRB 051221 (Parsons  
GCN #4363) with the PAIRITEL 1.3m at 2005-12-21 02:54:02 UTC, about  
30 minute after the GCN circular and 1hr3min after the GRB. In a  
stack of the first 313sec, we detect no new sources to at least the  
2MASS limit in JHKs bands. A visual comparison with the DSS-2 (F- 
plate) shows that most of the sources fainter than 2MASS in the  
PAIRITEL mosaics have optical counterparts.  Some of the faintest IR  
sources do not have detected counterparts but this is likely due to  
the redness/faintness of the sources. In particular, we point out  
objects at J2000:

    A: 21:54:57.84 +16:53:07.5   (inside the error circle)
    B: 21:55:00.89 +16:56:50.2   (red, outside the error circle)
    C: 21:55:01.58 +16:57:07.1   (red, outside the error circle,  
extended)

Further analysis is ongoing but we suggest that these sources be  
monitored for variability, especially object A."

A RGB (=KsHJ) finding chart may be found at:
  http://astro.berkeley.edu/~jbloom/grb051221.ps

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