TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  13363
SUBJECT: GRB 120612A: optical observations
DATE:    12/06/13 00:32:25 GMT
FROM:    Daniele Malesani at Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Inst  <malesani@dark-cosmology.dk>

D. Malesani (DARK/NBI), A. de Ugarte Postigo (IAA-CSIC and DARK/NBI), R. 
Sanchez-Ramirez (IAA-CSIC and DARK/NBI), J. P. U. Fynbo (DARK/NBI), 
report on behalf of the X-shooter GRB GTO collaboration:

We observed the field of GRB 120612A (Pagani et al., GCN 13357) with the 
ESO VLT equipped with X-shooter. Observations were taken with the 
acquisition camera in the R and z filters, with an exposure time of 45 s 
each. The images were obtained around 23:25 UT (about 21.3 hr after the 
GRB).

Within the revised XRT error circle (Evans et al., GCN 13359), we do not 
detect any object in either filters, down to a limiting magnitude R = 
22.5 (3 sigma). We confirm the presence of a bright star just outside 
the XRT circle (Swenson et al., GCN 13362), which brightness is 
consistent with the value reported in the USNO catalog. This object is 
pointlike (with a seeing of 1.3") and is significantly outside the XRT 
error circle, so it is very likely unrelated to the GRB.

We acknowledge excellent support from the observing staff in Paranal, in 
particular Alain Smette and Claudio Melo.