GCN Circular 2406

A. Klotz, F. Malacrino, J.L. Atteia, M. Boer (CESR-LAT/OMP Toulouse), D. Fox, 
M.P. Hunt (Caltech), and C. Veillet (CFHT) communicate:

We observed the error box of XRF 030824 (HETE 2821) with MEGAPRIME at the 
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, and i' filter, on September 21, 7h56 UT (two 
300 sec exposures). This XRF has a relatively low "pseudo-z" (see Atteia, 
2003, A&A, 407, L1), and we were looking for the possible rise of an 
associated type Ib,c supernova. 

Comparison with frames acquired at the 200-inch Hale Telescope and Large-
Format Camera on Mt. Palomar (Fox and Hunt GCNC # 2364 and 2369) reveals two 
new objects at the following J2000.0 coordinates: 

Object 1: 0h05m12.30s, +20d06'29.4" +-0.2", i'=22.7+-0.2; no host galaxy 
detected.

Object 2: 00h05m06.82s +20d05m00.4s +-0.4", i'=22.6+-0.4; offset from apparent 
host anonymous galaxy 0.56"W and 0.55"N, host magnitude i' = 21.5+-0.2 .

While the objects are visible on both CFHT i' frames, they are not visible on 
Palomar images. No catalogued asteroid is associated with any object on the 
frames. Given the wide area scanned, these objects may be supernovae not 
associated with the GRB, or TNOs, or one of them can be associated with XRF 
030824.

Images and first analysis of the frames are available at the following URL: 
http://www.cesr.fr/~klotz/grb030824/cand.htm

New observations are underway at CFHT.

This message is citable