{
  "bibcode": "1999GCN...213....1G",
  "body": "GRB 990123:  Pre-Burst Detection of an Apparent Host Galaxy\n\nR. R. Gal, S. G. Djorgovski, S. C. Odewahn, J. S. Bloom, and S. R. Kulkarni\n(CIT), on behalf of the Caltech DPOSS team and the Caltech-CARA-NRAO GRB\ncollaboration report:\n\nA faint galaxy coincident with the optical transient discovered at Palomar\n(Odewahn et al., GCN Circ. 201 and IAUC 7094) was detected on the F (red)\nplate of Digital POSS-II (DPOSS), taken on 05 July 1994 UT.  The galaxy was\nnot detected on J (blue/green) and N (near-IR) plates taken in March 1993.\n\nUsing the new CCD calibration of the field, we obtain for the galaxy the\nGunn magnitude r = 21.9 +- 0.4 (corresponding to Johnson R = 21.5 +- 0.5).\nOur preliminary calibration gives the upper limits in the other two band,\nwith g > 22.4 (roughly, B > 22.0), and i > 20.6 (roughly, I > 19.9), with\na net uncertainty of about 0.5 mag.  The limits in g and i are consistent \nwith the plate limits and the weak detection in the r band, for typical\ngalaxies at these magnitude levels.\n\nAt this r band magnitude level, the typical redshift for a normal field \ngalaxy is about 0.2 to 0.3.  It is extremely unlikely that this galaxy is \nat z > 0.5, unless it contains an active nucleus.  Future spectroscopic \nobservations will establish if this is indeed the host galaxy of GRB 990123.\n\nThe DPOSS image can be seen at:\nhttp://astro.caltech.edu/~george/grb/grb990123.html\n\nThis message may be cited.",
  "circularId": 213,
  "createdOn": 917215868000,
  "email": "george@oracle.caltech.edu",
  "subject": "GRB 990123:  Pre-Burst Detection of an Apparent Host Galaxy",
  "submitter": "George Djorgovski at Caltech/Palomar  <george@oracle.caltech.edu>",
  "eventId": "GRB 990123"
}