GCN Circular 11484

H. A. Krimm (CRESST/GSFC/USRA), W. H. Baumgartner (GSFC/UMBC),
A. P. Beardmore (U Leicester), M. M. Chester (PSU),
P. A. Evans (U Leicester), N. Gehrels (NASA/GSFC),
J. M. Gelbord (PSU), S. T. Holland (CRESST/USRA/GSFC),
V. Mangano (INAF-IASFPA), K. L. Page (U Leicester),
J. L. Racusin (NASA/GSFC), A. Rowlinson (U Leicester),
T. Sakamoto (NASA/UMBC) and M. H. Siegel (PSU) report on behalf of the
Swift Team:

At 05:27:13 UT, the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) triggered and
located GRB 101224A (trigger=440955).  Swift slewed immediately to the burst. 
The BAT on-board calculated location is RA, Dec 285.926, +45.715 which is 
   RA(J2000) = 19h 03m 42s
   Dec(J2000) = +45d 42' 55"
with an uncertainty of 3 arcmin (radius, 90% containment, including 
systematic uncertainty).  The BAT light curve showed a single peak with a
duration of about 0.5 sec and some possible later activity.  The peak count rate
was ~3000 counts/sec (15-350 keV), at ~0 sec after the trigger. 

The XRT began observing the field at 05:28:31.4 UT, 77.7 seconds after
the BAT trigger. No source was detected in the promptly available XRT
data. We are waiting for the full dataset to detect and localise the
XRT counterpart. 

UVOT took a finding chart exposure of 150 seconds with the White filter
starting 83 seconds after the BAT trigger. No credible afterglow candidate has
been found in the initial data products. The overlap of the sub-image and the
BAT error circle is uncertain. The overlap of the 8'x8' region for the list of
sources generated on-board and the BAT error circle is uncertain. No correction
has been made for extinction. 

This event is fairly near the galactic plane (galactic lon,lat = 76.11, +17.05 deg) 
so there is a possibility that it is a new galactic transient rather than a GRB. 
Further identification will await analysis of the full data set. 
We also note the presence of the galaxy pair MCG+08-34-033 6.5 arc minutes 
from the center of the BAT field of view.  These galaxies are at a distance
of z = 0.017832 ~75 Mpc

Burst Advocate for this burst is H. A. Krimm (krimm AT milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov). 
Please contact the BA by email if you require additional information
regarding Swift followup of this burst. In extremely urgent cases, after
trying the Burst Advocate, you can contact the Swift PI by phone (see
Swift TOO web site for information: http://www.swift.psu.edu/too.html.)