TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 60 SUBJECT: GRB 980425 optical observations DATE: 98/04/29 18:17:16 GMT FROM: Titus Galama at U.Amsterdam T.J. Galama, P.M. Vreeswijk, P.J. Groot, B. Stappers (University of Amsterdam); E. Pian, F. Frontera, E. Palazzi, N. Masetti (CNR, Bologna); L. Nicastro (IFACI-CNR, Palermo); M. Feroci (CNR, Roma); R.G. Strom (NFRA and U of Amsterdam); C. Kouveliotou (USRA/MSFC); J. van Paradijs (U of Amsterdam and U of Alabama in Huntsville) report: "Comparison of Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) and ESO NTT images obtained on April 28.37 UT (1998) shows a point source in the BeppoSAX WFC error box of GRB 980425 (IAUC 6884) which is not visible in the DSS. The object is also detected in red and blue band images taken at the 50in telecope at the Australian National University's Mt. Stromlo Observatory on April 26.63 UT (1800s), April 26.81 UT (1800s) and Apr 28.68 UT (1800s). It is located at RA 19:35:03.17, DEC -52:50:46.1 (J2000), offset from the nucleus of the barred spiral galaxy ESO 184-82 (in the DN 1931-529 group of galaxies; Duus & Newall, ApJS 35, 209, 1977) and coincident with the spiral arms. The object varies by less than 0.2 magnitudes between April 26.63 and 28.83 and has a blue magnitude of 16.2 +/- 0.5. It is therefore not clear whether the source is related to GRB 980425, or whether it is, e.g., a supernova. Images of the object and the SB galaxy can be found at http://www.astro.uva.nl/titus. Comparison of the Mt. Stromlo April 26.63 UT and Apr 28.68 UT red band images at the location of the X-ray source (BeppoSAX GRB MAIL N. 98/11) shows no variation > 0.2 mag down to about 21 mag." This work is based partly upon images obtained by the MACHO Project with the 50in telecope at the Australian National University's Mt. Stromlo Observatory. This message is citeable.