TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  7152
SUBJECT: GRB 071227: VLT probable redshift of the candidate host galaxy
DATE:    07/12/28 07:38:17 GMT
FROM:    Paolo D'Avanzo at INAF-OAB  <paolo.davanzo@brera.inaf.it>

P. D'Avanzo (INAF-OA),  F. Fiore (INAF-OAR), S. Piranomonte (INAF-OAR), 
S. Covino, G. Tagliaferri (INAF-OAB), G. Chincarini (Univ. Bicocca) and 
L. Stella (INAF-OAR) report, on behalf of the MISTICI collaboration:

We observed the field of GRB 071227 (Sakamoto et al., GCN 7147; Sato et 
al. GCN 7148) with the ESO-VLT equipped with the FORS2 camera. A 
spectrum (grism 300V) of the galaxy inside the XRT error box (Cucchiara 
& Sakamoto GCN 7150; Berger et al. GCN 7151) taken on Dec 28.1885 (about 
8.3 hours after the burst) displays an emission line at 5154.77 A. 
Interpreting this feature as [O II] 3728 we infer a tentative redshift 
of z = 0.383 (based on a preliminary wavelength calibration).

We thank the Paranal staff for excellent support, especially Elena Valenti.