TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 2944 SUBJECT: SGR1806: Optical Transient Candidates in SOHO/LASCO Images DATE: 05/01/08 02:54:09 GMT FROM: AAVSO GRB Network at AAVSO P. Schnoor and A. Price, on behalf of the AAVSO International High Energy Network, report on the detection of two transients close to the location of the recent superflare of SGR1806-20 (GCN #2920; Borkowski, et. al) in archival images of the SOHO spacecraft. The C3 telescope, a part of the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) instrument aboard the SOHO spacecraft, imaged the field of view of the SGR1806-20 superflare before and after detection of the flare on December 27, 2004 at 21:30:26 UT. Two transient objects have been detected in the region near the SGR. The first transient ("A") is nearly coincident with the radio afterglow position reported in GCN #2929 (Gaensler, et al.) of 18h08m39.3s, Dec -20o24'39.7" +/- 0.1" but is only discernable in a single image. The second transient ("B") is discernable in two images (thus is not a cosmic ray) and exhibits variability between the images but its location is further away from the radio afterglow position. Transient A Location: RA 18h08m Dec. -20o26' +/- 2 arc minutes in both directions Date Time (UT) Visual Estimate (v mag) 2004/12/27 23:18 No object down to <9.5 2004/12/27 23:42 6.2 2004/12/28 00:18 No object down to <9.5 Transient B Location: RA 18h06m Dec. -20o31' +/- 2 arc minutes in both directions Date Time (UT) Visual Estimate (v mag) 2004/12/27 22:18 No object down to <9.5 2004/12/27 23:18 7.5 2004/12/27 23:42 6.1 2004/12/28 00:18 No object down to <9.5 The image from 12/27 at 22:42 is not available via the online archive. Astrometry is by visual estimate. The images were taken with no filter and no polarizer. The quantum efficiency of the CCD is about 0.3-0.5 from 500 to 700 nm. Brightness estimates for transient A were made by visual comparison to GSC 6276-1797 (Tycho Vt=6.6) and GSC 6272-0089 (Tycho Vt=6.0). Brightness estimates for transient B were made by visual comparison with GSC 6276-1797 and GSC 6263-0713 (Tycho-2 Vt=8.0). We estimate visual precision to +/- 0.3 mag. Limiting magnitude for all images is estimated with GSC 6276-0854 (Tycho Vt=9.5). This area of the C3 telescope is subject to "strong vignetting" as reported in the LASCO Handbook (1) so astrometry and photometry must be judged as suspect. The authors of this GCN are not trained in analysis of LASCO images so careful calibration by LASCO experts is needed for confirmation. A GCN may be issued in the future when such analysis becomes available. A web page with images, finder chart and an animated, annotated GIF of the LASCO frames is here: http://www.aavso.org/observing/programs/lascosgr.shtml Courtesy of SOHO/LASCO consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. 1) http://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/handbook/hndbk_6.html