[vsnet-grb-info 6584] GRB 080905A: NOT and VLT observations

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  8190
SUBJECT: GRB 080905A: NOT and VLT observations
DATE:    08/09/06 18:40:26 GMT
FROM:    Daniele Malesani at Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Inst  <malesani at astro.ku.dk>

D. Malesani (DARK/NBI), A. de Ugarte Postigo (ESO), J. P. U. Fynbo 
(DARK/NBI), A. J. Levan (Univ. Warwick), E. Rol (Univ. Leicester), N. R. 
Tanvir (Univ. Leicester), C. C. Thoene (DARK/NBI), J. Telting (NOT), A. 
Baran (Cracow Univ.), report on behalf of a larger collaboration:

We observed the field of the short GRB 080905A (Pagani et al., GCN 8180) 
with the NOT and the VLT telescopes equipped with ALFOSC and FORS2, 
respectively. The NOT observations started on 2008 Sep 5.854 UT (8.51 hr 
after the GRB) and the total exposure time was 30 min. The VLT 
observations started on 2008 Sep 6.097 UT (14.3 hr after the GRB) and 
the total exposure was 40 min. All images were taken with the R filter.

Inside the XRT error circle, we detect a single, faint source with R ~ 
24 (against USNO-B1 stars), visible in both the NOT and VLT images. No 
variability of the source can be robustly determined, hence we cannot 
assess the relationship of this object with the GRB, especially given 
the relatively crowded field (Galactic latitude -12.6). Further 
observations are planned.

The coordinates of this object are:

RA(J2000) = 19:10:41.73
Dec(J2000) = -18:52:47.3

with an error of ~0.6".

We note that in our NOT images (seeing ~1"), the extended objects 
identified by Tristram et al. (GCN 8181) appear resolved into several 
pointlike sources.

Finding charts can be found at the following URL:

http://www.astro.ku.dk/~malesani/GRB/080905A

We acknowledge significant support from the observing staff at Paranal, 
in particular Swetlana Hubrig, Elena Mason and Andres Pino.