TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 8039 SUBJECT: GRB 080727A: VLT upper limits DATE: 08/07/28 08:05:37 GMT FROM: Daniele Malesani at Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Inst D. Malesani (DARK), P. Jakobsson (Univ. Hertfordshire), A. J. Levan (Univ. Warwick), E. Rol (Univ. Leicester), J. P. U. Fynbo (DARK), report on behalf of a larger collaboration. We observed the field of GRB 080727A (Immler et al., GCN 8021) with the ESO VLT equipped with FORS1. Observations started on 2008 Jul 27.979 UT, 17.5 hr after the burst, for a total exposure time of 900 s in the R filter. Inside the refined XRT error circle (Evans et al., GCN 8025), we detect no new source down to a limiting magnitude R~26. Calibration was based on tabulated zeropoints and is in rough agreement with USNO-B1 stars. We acknowledge kind support from the observing staff at Paranal, particularly Suzanna Randall, Karla Aubel, and Alain Smette.