TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 1179 SUBJECT: GRB011130, optical observations DATE: 01/12/06 00:47:23 GMT FROM: Peter Garnavich at U of Notre Dame S. Jha, R. P. Kirshner (CfA) and P. M. Garnavich (Notre Dame) We imaged the radio position of GRB 011131 (GCN 1173) with the Magellan 6.5m Baade telescope and Direct Camera on Dec. 5.23 (UT). A single 180s exposure with the R filter in 0.7" seeing reveals an unresolved source within the radio error circle. The position is 3:05:24.73 3:46:14.1 (2000) (1" from the radio position) based on the USNO.A2 catalog. The position is based on only three objects in common between the catalog and image, but is consistent with the GSC offset to the USNO.A2 in this region. The possible afterglow has an R magnitude of 22.8+/-0.2 based on a calibration from a single Landolt standard. A star 4" east and 7" south of the OT position has R=21.5 mag (star A on finder). A finder chart can be found at http://www.nd.edu/~pgarnavi/grb011130/finder.jpg and the reduced FITS image (dec5.fits) can be obtained there as well. This message may be cited