{
  "bibcode": "1999GCN...381....1H",
  "body": "J. Halpern (Columbia U.), G. Jacoby (NOAO), F. Frontera (ITESRE-CNR, Bologna),\nM. Feroci, E. Costa (IAS-CNR, Rome), and L. Piro (ITESRE-CNR, Frascati)\nreport:\n\n\"We (GJ) observed the BeppoSAX NFI error circle of GRB 990705\n(Gandolfi GCN #373) in the R band using the CTIO 1.5m telescope.\nA 10 minute exposure was obtained on July 7.44 UT in seeing\nof 1.4 arcsec, and 20 minutes were obtained on July 8.42 UT\nin seeing of 1.6 arcsec.  At precisely the position quoted for\nthe fading infrared transient (Palazzi et al. GCN #377),\nwe see nothing to a 3-sigma limiting magnitude of R < 22.0\non July 7, and R < 22.3 on July 8.  Photometric calibration\nwas performed using the Landolt standard field of PG 0231+051.\nFor reference we measure R = 16.45 for the neighboring USNO-A2.0\nstar at RA 05:09:53.822, Dec -72:08:26.04.\n\nThe nearest R-band source to the IR transient is an extended or confused\nobject (difficult to evaluate because of the high stellar density in this\nfield) of core magnitude R = 19.70 +/- 0.05, which is also clearly visible on\nthe ESO Sky Survey J plate.  We measure its position, (J2000) RA 05:09:55.44,\nDec -72:07:58.7, with respect to 40 stars from the USNO-A2.0 catalog having\nan rms error of 0.45 arcsec.  Since this object is 2.3 arcsec north of the \ninfrared transient, and since the IR position was reported with an\nuncertainty of 1.5 arcsec, more precise astrometry of the IR image would be \ndesirable to register it with the optical and to investigate the relationship,\nif any, between these objects.  It seems prudent, however, to presume that\nthere is no connection.\n\nThis message may be cited.\"",
  "circularId": 381,
  "createdOn": 931457320000,
  "email": "jules@astro.columbia.edu",
  "subject": "GRB 990705, R-band observations",
  "submitter": "Jules Halpern at Columbia U.  <jules@astro.columbia.edu>",
  "eventId": "GRB 990705"
}