[vsnet-grb-info 3213] GRB 060502: P60 Afterglow Confirmation

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  5048
SUBJECT: GRB 060502: P60 Afterglow Confirmation
DATE:    06/05/02 04:45:42 GMT
FROM:    S. Bradley Cenko at Caltech  <cenko at srl.caltech.edu>

S. B. Cenko, E. O. Ofek (Caltech), and D. B. Fox (Penn State) report on
behalf of a larger collaboration:

We have imaged the field of GRB060502 (La Parola et al., GCN 5047) with
the automated Palomar 60-inch telescope.  Observations began immediately
following astronomical twilight.  The UVOT optical candidate is detected
in individual 60 s R, g, and i' images and is cleary fading.  We
therefore confirm this object as the afterglow of GRB060502.

We estimate the magnitude of the afterglow to be R ~ 19.8 approximately
40 minutes after the burst trigger (calculated with reference to several
nearby USNO-B objects).

Observations are continuing.