TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  2001
SUBJECT: GRB 030329: optical observations
DATE:    03/03/29 21:44:47 GMT
FROM:    Rodion Burenin at IKI, Moscow  <rodion@hea.iki.rssi.ru>

R. Burenin, D. Denissenko, M. Pavlinsky, R. Sunyaev, O. Terekhov,
A. Tkachenko (IKI); Z. Aslan, K. Uluc, I. Khamitov (TUG); U. Kiziloglu,
A. Alpar, A. Baykal (METU); I. Bikmaev, N. Sakhibullin, V. Suleymanov (KSU)
report:

Error box of GRB030329 (HETE Trigger #2652) was observed with 1.5-m
Russian-Turkish Telescope RTT150 at Bakyrlytepe (TUBITAK National
Observatory, Turkey) started at Mar 29.744 UT, appr. 6 hours after the burst.

We confirm the presence of the optical transient (OT) reported by Peterson
and Price (GCN 1985). In the beginning of our run the afterglow appear to
have the following magnitudes: B=14.99, V=14.46, R=14.12, I=13.60, and is
fading at a rate appr. 0.18 mag per hour in every filter. At 29.794 the OT
has magnitudes: B=15.19, V=14.65, R=14.34, I=13.82. We will continue our
observations as long as it will be possible.

The absolute fluxes will be calibrated more accurately. The light curves
will follow.

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