{
  "bibcode": "2008GCN..8398....1S",
  "body": "G. Stratta (ASDC), W. H. Baumgartner (GSFC/UMBC),\nN. Gehrels (NASA/GSFC), E. A. Hoversten (PSU),\nC. B. Markwardt (CRESST/GSFC/UMD), M. Perri (ASDC) and\nL. Vetere (PSU) report on behalf of the Swift Team:\n\nAt 05:53:08 UT, the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) triggered and\nlocated GRB 081024 (trigger=332516).  Swift slewed immediately to the burst. \nThe BAT on-board calculated location is \nRA, Dec 27.898, +61.346 which is \n   RA(J2000) = 01h 51m 36s\n   Dec(J2000) = +61d 20' 47\"\nwith an uncertainty of 3 arcmin (radius, 90% containment, including \nsystematic uncertainty).  The BAT light curve showed a short hard peak with \na duration of about 0.3 sec at T+0 with a short precursor peak at T-2.5 seconds. \nThe peak count rate was ~6,000 counts/sec (15-350 keV), at ~0 sec after\nthe trigger. \n\nThe XRT began observing the field at 05:54:21.1 UT, 72.3 seconds after\nthe BAT trigger. Using promptly downlinked data we find a fading,\nuncatalogued X-ray source with an enhanced position: RA, Dec 27.8745,\n61.3317 which is equivalent to:\n   RA(J2000)  = 01h 51m 29.88s\n   Dec(J2000) = +61d 19' 54.1\"\nwith an uncertainty of 2.3 arcseconds (radius, 90% containment). This\nlocation is 65 arcseconds from the BAT onboard position, within the BAT\nerror circle. This position may be improved as more data are received;\nthe latest position is available at http://www.swift.ac.uk/sper. \n\nA power-law fit to a spectrum formed from promptly downlinked event\ndata gives a column density consistent with the Galactic value of\n7.71e+21 cm^-2 (Kalberla et al. 2005). \n\nUVOT took a finding chart exposure of nominal 150 seconds with the White\n(160-650 nm) filter starting 76 seconds after the BAT trigger. No afterglow\ncandidate has been found in the initial data products. Image catalog data are\nnot available at this time. The 8'x8' region for the list of sources generated\non-board covers 100% of the BAT error circle. The list of sources is typically\ncomplete to about 18 mag. No correction has been made for the large, but\nuncertain extinction expected. \n\nThis appears to be a short hard GRB with a precursor and a fading X-ray \nafterglow.  We note that the position in galactic coordinates is l=130deg, \nb=-0.7 deg.  It is not impossible that this is a galactic transient or\neven an SGR. \n\nBurst Advocate for this burst is G. Stratta (giulia.stratta AT asdc.asi.it). \nPlease contact the BA by email if you require additional information\nregarding Swift followup of this burst. In extremely urgent cases, after\ntrying the Burst Advocate, you can contact the Swift PI by phone (see\nSwift TOO web site for information: http://www.swift.psu.edu/too.html.)",
  "circularId": 8398,
  "createdOn": 1224829135000,
  "email": "gehrels@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov",
  "subject": "GRB 081024: Swift detection of a burst",
  "submitter": "Neil Gehrels at GSFC  <gehrels@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov>",
  "eventId": "GRB 081024"
}