GCN Circular 7770
Subject
GRB 080523: VLT optical observations
Event
Date
2008-05-24T14:32:01Z (18 years ago)
From
Daniele Malesani at Niels Bohr Inst,Dark Cosmology Center <malesani@astro.ku.dk>
Johan P. U. Fynbo, Daniele Malesani (DARK), Pall Jakobsson (Univ.
Hertfordshire), Bo Milvang-Jensen and Jens Hjorth (DARK), report on
behalf of a larger collaboration:
We observed the field of GRB 080523 (Stroh et al., GCN 7767) with the
ESO VLT equipped with FORS2. Photometric observations were conducted on
2008 May 24, between 8:14 and 8:27 UT (about 10.9 hr after the GRB).
Inside the revised XRT error circle (Osborne et al., GCN 7768), we
detect a faint source at coordinates (J2000):
RA = 01:23:11.61
Dec = -64:01:51.8
Lacking any information on variability, we cannot assess whether this
source is associated with GRB 080523.
A spectrum of the object shows detection of continuum in the blue down
to 4200 AA, implying a redshift limit z < 2.5. Further analysis is underway.
We note the presence of two further, faint sources close to, but
slightly outside of, the refined XRT error circle at (RA, Dec) =
(01:23:11.21, -64:01:53.9) and (01:23:10.88, -64:01:50.4).
We acknowledge excellent support and positive initative from the ESO
observing staff, particularly Yuri Beletsky and Patricia Guajardo.