[vsnet-grb-info 6650] GRB080916A: Spectroscopic redshift

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  8254
SUBJECT: GRB080916A: Spectroscopic redshift
DATE:    08/09/17 07:35:16 GMT
FROM:    Johan U. Fynbo at U.Copenhagen  <jfynbo at astro.ku.dk>

J. P. U. Fynbo, D. Malesani, J. Hjorth, J. Sollerman, C. C. Thoene (DARK),
report on behalf of a larger collaboration.

We observed the field of GRB 080916A (Ziaeepour et al., GCN 8237) with the
ESO VLT equipped with FORS1. Observations started on 2008 Sep 17.097 UT,
17.1 hr after the burst, for a total exposure time of 1 hr with the 300V
grism. Based on MgII absorption and emission lines from [OII] and [OIII]
we infer a redshift for GRB080916A of z=0.689 (based a preliminary
wavelength calibration).

We acknowledge excellent support from the observing staff at
Paranal, in particular Dominique Naef, Heidi Korhonen and Chris Lidman.