[vsnet-grb-info 4248] GRB 070126: VLT observations

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  6046
SUBJECT: GRB 070126: VLT observations
DATE:    07/01/28 12:00:08 GMT
FROM:    Daniele Malesani at Niels Bohr Inst,Dark Cosmology Center  <malesani at astro.ku.dk>

D. Malesani (Dark/NBI), P.M. Vreeswijk (ESO), P. Jakobsson (Herfordshire),
J.P.U. Fynbo (Dark/NBI), report on behalf of a larger collaboration:

We observed the field of the faint GRB 070126 (Vetere et al., GCN 6027)
with the ESO VLT + FORS2 on 2006 Jan 26.17 UT (1.52 hr after the GRB).
Short exposures (~1 min) were acquired in BVRIz. Inside the XRT error
circle (Vetere \& Racusin, GCN 6045) we detect a single, extended source,
which is present in the USNO-B1 catalog and in the DSS images, at the
coordinates (0.5"  error):

RA(J2000) = 02:14:10.03
Dec(J2000) = -73:32:05.7

Given the lack of evidence for variability of the X-ray source, the
possible association of this galaxy with the GRB or the X-ray source is at
present unclear.

Our images cover ~80% of the refined BAT error circle (Fenimore et al.,
GCN 6040). No new sources brighter than the DSS limits (R~20.5) are seen
across the whole observed region.

We acknowledge excellent support from the ESO staff at Paranal, in
particular Hugues Sana, Thomas Rivinius, Leonardo Vanzi and Dominique
Naef.