[AAVSO-HEN] GRB 080607: ROTSE-III Detection of Optical Counterpart

[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 CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  7846
SUBJECT: GRB 080607: ROTSE-III Detection of Optical Counterpart
DATE:    08/06/07 06:11:50 GMT
FROM:    Wiphu Rujopakarn at U AZ/Steward  <wiphu at as.arizona.edu>

W. Rujopakarn (Steward), E.S. Rykoff (UCSB), report on behalf of the ROTSE
collaboration:

ROTSE-IIIb, located at McDonald Observatory, Texas, responded to GRB
080607 (Swift trigger 313417). The first image was at 06:07:49.0 UT, 22.0
s after the burst (6.0 s after the GCN notice time). The unfiltered images
are calibrated relative to USNO A2.0. We detect a 14.8 magnitude, fading
source with coordinates:

     12:59:47.3      +15:55:10.8    (J2000), with positional uncertainty
of 1" or better

start UT    	mag     mlim(of image)
----------------------------------
06:07:49.0     14.8     16.4


This source is not visible in DSS (second epoch), 2MASS or the MPChecker
database.

A jpeg image is available at
http://www.rotse.net/images/gsb313417_3b00_img.jpg Note that the object
marked 11 is the candidate in question.

Continuing observations are in progress.