GCN Circular 42388
Subject
EP251023a: Einstein Probe detection of an X-ray transient
Event
Date
2025-10-23T09:11:35Z (2 days ago)
From
EP Team at NAOC/CAS <ep_ta@bao.ac.cn>
Via
Web form
Y. Wu (NJU), D. F. Hu (PMO, CAS), H. N. Yang, T. Zhao, W. D. Zhang (NAO, CAS), on behalf of the Einstein Probe (EP) team:
We report on the detection of an X-ray transient by the Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT) on board the Einstein Probe (EP) mission, designated EP251023a. The transient triggered EP-WXT (ID: 01709247295) at 2025-10-23T02:31:09 (UTC). The WXT position of the source is R.A. = 127.151 deg, Dec. = 20.871 deg (J2000) with an uncertainty of 3 arcmin in radius (90% C.L. statistical and systematic).
We performed a Target-of-Opportunity observation with the Follow-up X-ray Telescope on board EP. The observation began at 2025-10-23T07:44:08 (UTC).An uncatalogued X-ray source was detected within the WXT error circle at R.A. = 127.1368 deg, Dec. = 20.8634 deg (J2000), with a positional uncertainty of 20 arcsec in radius (90% confidence level, including both statistical and systematic uncertainties). The source is spatially consistent with the counterpart reported in optical bands (Wortley et al. GCN 42387).
Further information will be updated when the telemetry data is received.
Launched on January 9, 2024, EP is a space X-ray observatory to monitor the soft X-ray sky with X-ray follow-up capability (Yuan et al. 2022, Handbook of X-ray and Gamma-ray Astrophysics).