TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  2092
SUBJECT: GRB030329, cessation of fading
DATE:    03/04/04 15:07:27 GMT
FROM:    Arne A. Henden at USNO/USRA  <aah@nofs.navy.mil>

A. Henden (USRA/USNO), B. Canzian (USNO), H. Harris (USNO)
and T. Tilleman (USNO) report on behalf of the USNO GRB team:

We have acquired time-series UBVRcIc photometry of the optical transient
(Peterson and Price, GCN 1985) for the HETE burst GRB030329 (GCN 1997)
with the USNOFS 1.0m and 1.3m telescopes on all nights since the
burst.  Photometric accuracy has been typically 0.01-0.02mag
in all colors (nice to have a bright OT!).
   On the last two nights, 030403 and 030404 UT, the transient
has ceased fading, with mean magnitude on 030403 of
V=18.16 and on 030404 of V=18.13.  This unusual behavior
may be the beginning of the supernova bump predicted by
Zeh et al. (GCN 2081), though there has not been strong
color evolution.