[vsnet-grb-info 2105] GRB 050908: P60 Confirmation of Optical Afterglow

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  3944
SUBJECT: GRB 050908: P60 Confirmation of Optical Afterglow
DATE:    05/09/08 07:51:12 GMT
FROM:    S. Bradley Cenko at Caltech  <cenko at srl.caltech.edu>

S. Bradley Cenko (Caltech), Derek B. Fox (Penn State), and Edo Berger
(Carnegie Observatories) report on behalf of a larger collaboration:

We have imaged the error circle of GRB 050908 (Swift 154112, GCN 3942,
Goad et al.) with the automated Palomar 60-inch Telescope.  The optical
candidate identified by Torii (GCN 3943) is detected in our images, and
shows clear signs of fading.  Approximately 22 minutes after the burst,
the afterglow has faded to a magnitude of R ~ 19.4 +/- 0.3 (based on a
comparison with the Guide Star Catalog).  We therefore confirm this object
is the afterglow of GRB 050908.

Further observations are planned.