TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  43899
SUBJECT: EP260302a: Einstein Probe detection of an X-ray transient
DATE:    26/03/03 02:50:49 GMT
FROM:    EP Team at NAOC/CAS <ep_ta@bao.ac.cn>

Y. J. Zhang (THU), Y. H. Cheng, D. Zhu, K. J. Zhang (YNU),  H. W. Pan (NAOC) 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 EP260302a. The transient triggered EP-WXT (ID: 01709258736) at 2026-03-02T23:39:22 (UTC). The WXT position of the source is R.A. = 133.015 deg, DEC = -66.007 deg (J2000) with an uncertainty of 3 arcmin in radius (90% C.L. statistical and systematic).

A follow-up observation with the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT) was performed automatically. Within the WXT error circle, an uncatalogued X-ray source was detected at R.A. = 132.9655 deg, DEC = -65.9859 deg (J2000) with an uncertainty of 20 arcsec in radius (90% C.L. statistical and systematic).

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).