[vsnet-grb-info 6743] GRB 081008: ROTSE-III Detection of Optical Counterpart

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  8343
SUBJECT: GRB 081008: ROTSE-III Detection of Optical Counterpart 
DATE:    08/10/08 20:04:04 GMT
FROM:    Eli Rykoff at UCSB  <erykoff at physics.ucsb.edu>

E.S. Rykoff (UCSB), report on behalf of the ROTSE collaboration:

ROTSE-IIIc, located at the H.E.S.S. site at Mt. Gamsberg, Namibia, 
responded to GRB 081008 (Swift trigger 331093). The first image was at 
19:58:51.3 UT, 41.9 s after the burst (8.3 s after the GCN notice time). 
The unfiltered images are calibrated relative to USNO A2.0. We detect a 
14.5 magnitude, brightening source with coordinates:

      18:39:50.0      -57:25:52.0    (J2000), with positional 
uncertainty of 1" or better

start UT    	mag     mlim(of image)
----------------------------------
19:58:51.3     14.5     16.2


This source is not visible in DSS (second epoch), 2MASS or the MPChecker 
database.

A jpeg image is available at 
http://www.rotse.net/images/gsb331093_3c00_img.jpg

Continuing observations are in progress.