February 22, 2006: The optical afterglow and underlying supernova for GRB060218 continues to brighten and has generated a lot of interest in the scientific community. It is well positioned in the early evening sky for professional and amateur monitoring. The latest coordinates are:
March 19, 2008: The intense gamma-ray burst GRB 080319B was detected in gamma ray, x-ray, optical light, and early indications by two automated cameras suggest that the optical afterglow of the burst may have briefly reached naked-eye visibility (mag ~ 5.76, GCN 7445, Cwiok et al) within 60 seconds of the onset. It is highly unlikely the burst was caught visually, but it is possible the burst may have been detected if any observers were monitoring this area of the sky (e.g. for minor planet searching).
We're pleased to note that GCN Circular #14490 has been published, detailing time-series photometry of the bright GRB 130427A by Patrick Wiggins. His observations provide a comprehensive record of the three hours of the early evolution of this incredibly bright afterglow.