GCN Circular 44440
Subject
EP260502a: Einstein Probe detection of an X-ray transient
Event
Date
2026-05-02T07:20:32Z (7 days ago)
From
EP Team at NAOC/CAS <ep_ta@bao.ac.cn>
Via
Web form
T.Y. Liu (NAO,CAS), Y. Q. Zhao(PRIC,USTC), Y. F. Liang (PMO, CAS), Y. Wang (PMO, CAS; UCB), H. W. Pan (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 EP260502a. The transient triggered EP-WXT (ID: 01709261349) at 2026-05-02T06:08:51 (UTC). The WXT position of the source is R.A. = 272.190 deg, DEC = -76.244 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. = 272.2762 deg, DEC =-76.2297 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).