{
  "bibcode": "2002GCN..1227....1H",
  "body": "VLT observations of GRB 020124: The fading optical/near-infrared afterglow\n\n\nJ. Hjorth (U. Copenhagen), J. Gorosabel (DSRI, Copenhagen), and J. Fynbo (ESO) \nreport on behalf of the Gamma-Ray Afterglow Collaboration at ESO (GRACE):\n\nWe have obtained optical and near-infrared images of the possible optical \nafterglow (Price et al., GCN #1221; Gorosabel et al., GCN #1224; Bloom, GCN \n#1225) of GRB 020124 (Ricker et al., GCN #1220) with ESO's VLT. 30-min Ks-band\nexposures were obtained with ISAAC/Antu on Jan 26.20 (seeing FWHM = 0.50\") and \nJan 27.20 (FWHM = 0.44\") 2002 UT; a 15-min R-band image (FWHM = 0.66\") was \nobtained with FORS1/Melipal on Jan 27.28 2002 UT. The source identified by \nGorosabel et al. in NOT R-band images obtained on Jan 26.06 (cf. GCN #1224) \nhas clearly faded in the FORS1 R-band image. The source is also detected in \nthe ISAAC Ks data and is fading between the two epochs of observation. These \nfindings strongly suggest that the source identified by Price et al. is indeed \nthe optical/NIR afterglow of GRB 020124. A more detailed analysis of the data \nis in progress. Meanwhile, we have posted images showing the decaying Ks-band \nsource at http://www.astro.ku.dk/~jens/GRB020124_ISAAC_Ks_GRACE.gif\n\nWe appreciate the kind and efficient assistance of the ESO staff at \nParanal Observatory (Nancy Ageorges, Thomas Szeifert and Riccardo Scarpa) \nin conducting the reported service mode observations.",
  "circularId": 1227,
  "createdOn": 1012134628000,
  "email": "jens@astro.ku.dk",
  "subject": "VLT observations of GRB 020124: The fading optical/near-infrared afterglow",
  "submitter": "Jens Hjorth at U.Copenhagen  <jens@astro.ku.dk>",
  "eventId": "GRB 020124"
}