EP251129a, GRB 251129A
GCN Circular 43249
A. de Ugarte Postigo (LAM), A. Martin-Carrillo (UCD), L. Izzo (INAF/OACN and DARK/NBI), B. Schneider (LAM), D. B. Malesani (DAWN/NBI and Radboud), G. Corcoran (UCD), C. C. Thoene (AbAO), N. R. Tanvir (Univ. Leicester), J. F. Agui Fernandez (CAHA), M. A. Aloy (UV), J. P. U. Fynbo (DAWN/NBI), L. Galbany (IEEC-CSIC), S. Geier (GTC), G. Lombardi (GTC), N. A. Rakotondrainibe (LAM), A. Cabrera-Lavers (GTC), report:
We have continued monitoring the optical counterpart (Angulo et al. GCN 42880) of GRB 251129A (Wenjun et al. GCN 42877) using the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) equipped with OSIRIS+ and HiPERCAM.
We observed the afterglow in imaging using the u, g, r, i, z bands on 8 December 2025 (9.2 day after the burst) and again on 26 December 2025 (27.2 day after the burst). The optical counterpart is well detected in both epochs, with an increase in brightness in all bands. At 27.2 days after the burst, we measure r = 22.24 +/- 0.04 mag. The object is significantly brighter than the candidate host underlying the GRB, which we measure at r ~ 24.16 mag in CFHT archival images.
On 27 December 2025, 28.1 days after the burst, we obtained a 3x1200 s spectrum using OSIRIS+ equipped with grism R1000B, covering the range between 3700 and 7780 AA at a resolving power of ~600. The spectrum shows a continuum over the full spectral range. We do not detect any of the spectral features reported by Sánchez-Ramírez et al. (GCN 42900) at z = 1.460. However, we detect emission features of [OII], [OIII], H-alpha, H-beta and H-gamma from an underlying galaxy at a common redshift of z = 0.505.
At a redshift of z = 0.505, the emergence of a detectable SN is expected, which explains the rebrightening observed in our photometric data. Hence, we suggest that the redshift of GRB 251129A is indeed z = 0.505 and that we are now observing the associated SN. We do note that the observed emission is brighter than what we would expect for a template of SN 1998bw at z = 0.505, even after correction of host galaxy contribution, although our photometry may be affected by the remaining light of the afterglow.
We encourage further follow-up of this event.
This work has used the GRBspec database at http://grbspec.eu (de Ugarte Postigo et al. 2014, doi:10.1117/12.2055774).
GCN Circular 43228
Tao An (SHAO), Ailing Wang (IHEP), Zigao Dai (USTC), and collaborators report on VLA observations of GRB 251129A.
We observed GRB 251129A, also reported as EP251129a (e.g., GCNs 42877, 42879, 42880, 42882, 42884, 42887, 42888, 42891, 42897, 42900, 42902, 42959, 42972, 42985), with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) under program VLA/25B-403 (AA627) on 2025 December 15 UT, approximately 16.0 days after the burst (relative to the SVOM/ECLAIRs trigger at 2025 Nov 29 02:32:05 UT). Observations were obtained in C band (4–8 GHz).
A significant radio source is detected at the GRB position. Using standard wideband imaging, we measure:
- Position (J2000):
RA = 14:57:18.867 ± 0.044 s
Dec = +79:17:34.74 ± 0.09″
- Peak flux density:
75.1 ± 8.4 μJy beam⁻¹ at 5 GHz
62.2 ± 9.4 μJy beam⁻¹ at 7 GHz
The implied in-band spectral index across 5–7 GHz is consistent with being flat within uncertainties. The VLA position is consistent with the reported optical afterglow position (e.g., GCN 42883) and is also consistent with the X-ray localizations reported by SVOM/MXT, Swift/XRT, and Einstein Probe (e.g., GCN 42877, 42884, 42891), supporting the association of this radio source with GRB 251129A.
This VLA detection provides an important radio counterpart to the unusual multi-wavelength behaviour of GRB 251129A reported in earlier GCNs, including its ultra-long high-energy emission and peculiar X-ray temporal and spectral evolution. We note that our eMERLIN observations reported in GCN 43040 resulted in a non-detection at C band between 2025 December 3-5, placing a 3σ upper limit of 0.066 mJy beam⁻¹ on the flux density. The new VLA detection therefore indicates a rising or previously sub-threshold radio afterglow component emerging on week timescales.
More radio observations are encouraged to measure the temporal decay and spectral evolution and to distinguish between internal-engine and external-shock interpretations of this event.
We thank the VLA Time Allocation Committee for approving these observations and the NRAO VLA operations and scheduling teams for the rapid execution and support that made this time-critical observation possible.
GCN Circular 43062
N. S. Pankov (HSE, IKI), E. Klunko (ISTP), R. Ya. Inasaridze (AbAO), A. A. Volnova (IKI), A. S. Pozanenko (IKI) report on behalf of IKI-GRB-FuN:
We observed the field of GRB 251129A initially detected by SVOM (Tan et al., GCN 42877) and also detected by Einstein Probe as EP251129a (Wu et al., GCN 42884) and Swift (Evans, GCN 42888; Page et al., GCN 42891). The observations were carried out with the AS-32 0.7m telescope of the Abastumani Observatory (AbAO) and the 1.5m telescope of the Sayan Solar Observatory (Mondy). The observations started on 2025-11-29 at 18:58 UT at AbAO. The optical afterglow (Angulo et al., GCN 42880; Wu et al., GCN 42882; Watson, GCN 42883; Masi, GCN 42885; Li et al., GCN 42887; Lipunov et al., GCN 42892; Moskvitin & Spiridonova, GCN 42897; Guziy et al., GCN 42899; Sanchez-Ramirez et al., GCN 42900; Yaqup et al., GCN 42942; Kuin and Cenko, GCN 42959; Xin et al., GCN 42972) is only visible in the stacked images from Mondy. The preliminary photometry and the observation properties are presented above:
Date UT start t-T0 Exp. Filter OT Err. UL Site/Telescope
(mid,days) (n*s) (3sigma)
2025-11-29 18:58:15 0.70255 51*60 R n/d n/d 17.6 AbAO/AS-32
2025-11-29 20:15:26 0.75928 30*120 R 21.57 0.15 22.2 Mondy/AZT-33IK
2025-11-30 19:50:56 1.75199 44*120 R 21.47 0.13 22.2 Mondy/AZT-33IK
The photometry is based on nearby stars from the USNO-B1 catalog (R2 magnitudes) and is not corrected for the Galactic extinction.
GCN Circular 43040
Tao An (SHAO), Ailing Wang (IHEP), Emmanuel Bempong-Manful (UoM), Zigao Dai (USTC), and collaborators report on e-MERLIN observations of GRB 251129A.
We observed GRB 251129A (GCN 42877, 42879, 42880, 42882, 42884, 42887, 42888, 42891, 42897, 42900, 42902, 42959, 42972, 42985) with the e-MERLIN array in the C band between 2025 December 3, 17:40 UT and December 5, 04:19 UT (project RR20009). Four antennas, Pickmere (Pi), Darnhall (Da), Knockin (Kn), and Cambridge (Cm), participated in the observation.
Observing setup:
- Frequency coverage: 4.82–5.33 GHz (C band), total bandwidth 512 MHz
- Antennas: Pi, Da, Kn, Cm
- Polarizations: Right and left circular
- Spectral setup: 4 × 128 MHz spectral windows, 128 × 1 MHz channels per window (post-averaging)
- Observation span: 2025-12-03 17:40 UT to 2025-12-05 04:19 UT
The data were processed using the standard e-MERLIN pipeline followed by calibration and imaging in CASA.
No significant radio emission was detected at the position of GRB 251129A. We place a 3σ upper limit of 0.066 mJy beam⁻¹ on the flux density.
We encourage coordinated and continued radio follow-up to further constrain the flux density and probe potential variability at C band and complementary frequencies. We thank the e-MERLIN TAG and operations teams for their support.
GCN Circular 42985
H. Yang, M. Brunet, O. Godet, J.-L. Atteia (IRAP), W. J. Xie (NAOC), W. J. Tan (IHEP), D. F. Kong (GXU)
Using the event-by-event data downloaded through the X-band ground stations, we report further analysis of ECLAIRs observations of GRB 251129A/EP251129a (SVOM burst-id sb25112901, GCN 42877) detected at T0 = 2025-11-29T02:32:05 UT, which was also detected by EP/WXT (GCN 42884).
The burst that triggered ECLAIRs shows a featureless light curve, and is detected from T0-41 s to T0+3200 s in the 4-120 keV energy band, indicating that it may be an ultra-long GRB or a very bright afterglow or a combination of both. The peculiar multi-wavelength temporal behavior of this event makes it a burst of great interest.
ECLAIRs observations of GRB 251129A/EP251129a were interrupted by a slew and by a pass through the SAA, which divides the data into three time intervals for the time-averaged spectra analysis.
The time-averaged spectrum from T0-41 s to T0+77 s (before the slew) in the 4-120 keV is well fitted by a power-law model with a photon index of 1.7+/-0.1 and a corresponding 4-120 keV flux of (1.5+/-0.2)e-8 erg/cm^2/s.
The spectrum from T0+190 s to T0+585 s (after the slew and before the SAA transit) in the 4-120 keV is well fitted by a power-law model with a photon index of 2.1+/-0.1, with a 4-120 keV flux of (3.9+0.5-0.4)e-9 erg/cm^2/s.
The spectrum from T0+1600 s to T0+3200 s (after the SAA transit) in the 4-120 keV is well fitted by a power-law model with a photon index of 2.0+/-0.1, with a 4-120 keV flux of (1.5+0.1-0.3)e-9 erg/cm^2/s.
Overall, the ECLAIRs spectral analysis shows that GRB 251129A/EP251129a is decreasing in fluxes, and shows no significant spectral evolution from T0+190 s to T0+3200 s. The photon index measured from T0+190 s to T0+3200 s is consistent with that measured from EP/FXT at T0+2643 s (GCN 42902). The long-lasting emission seen by ECLAIRs matches the X-ray emission of the uncatalogued source seen by SVOM/MXT (GCN 42877).
All the quoted errors are at the 68% confidence level.
The Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) is a China-France joint mission led by the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA), French Space Agency (CNES), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which is dedicated to observing gamma-ray bursts and other transient phenomena in the energetic universe. ECLAIRs was developed jointly by CNES, CEA-IRFU, CNRS-IRAP, CNRS-APC.
The SVOM/ECLAIRs point of contact for this burst is: Hui Yang (IRAP) (hui.yang@irap.omp.eu)
GCN Circular 42972
L. P. Xin, H. L. Li, Y. L. Qiu, C. Wu, Z. H. Yao, Y. N. Ma, X. H. Han, J. Wang, Y. Xu, P. P. Zhang, W. J. Xie, Y. J. Xiao, H. B. Cai, L. Lan, J. R. Xu, J. S. Deng, J. Y. Wei (NAOC), J. Palmerio (CEA) report on behalf of the SVOM/VT team.
SVOM/VT performed further ToO observations for GRB 251129A / EP251129a triggered by SVOM/ECLAIRs (sb25112901, Tan et al., GCN 42877, GCN 42879) and Einstein Probe (Wu et al., GCN 42884).
The observations showed the color of the afterglow (Evans, GCN 42888; Angulo et al., GCN 42880