GCN Circular 8114
Subject
GRB 080822 (SGR 0501+4516): archival optical observations
Date
2008-08-22T17:49:29Z (16 years ago)
From
Denis Denissenko at IKI, Moscow <denis@hea.iki.rssi.ru>
D. V. Denisenko (Space Research Institute, Moscow, Russia) reports:
Analysis of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey plates available at
http://archive.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_plate_finder has revealed a
variable object at the following position:
RA (J2000.0) = 05 01 06.47
Dec (J2000.0) = +45 16 28.0
with an uncertainty of 0.2". This is 7" from the XRT position of GRB
080822 reported by Holland et al. (GCN 8112), thus formally outside the
reported 90% error circle with the radius of 2.6".
The above mentioned star is present in USNO-B1.0 catalogue as USNO-B1
1352-0128683 (RA = 05 01 06.42, Dec = +45 16 27.6) with the following
magnitudes:
B1=19.11, R1=15.99, B2=17.74, R2=15.97, I=16.52.
Animation of two Blue and two Red plates, as well as color-combined
(BRIR) images covering 101"x101" area around the variable star are
available at <http://hea.iki.rssi.ru/~denis/SGR0501+4516.html>.
It should be also noted that the variable object is located 16" from the
ROSAT source 1RXS J050107.9+451631 (catalog position error 13") with the
hardness ratios HR1=0.96+/-0.08, HR2=1.00+/-0.12. These values are
typical for X-ray binaries, including X-ray transients. Thus, the
variable star is most likely associated with the ROSAT source. The
optical spectroscopy of this star is encouraged. Also the follow-up
X-ray observations of SGR 0501+4846 are required to reveal its true
nature, improve the position accuracy and check the possible identification.
This message can be cited.