TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 2217 SUBJECT: GRB 030329: Optical limit (contemporaneous photography) DATE: 03/05/08 08:06:15 GMT FROM: Ken ichi Torii at RIKEN K. Sasaki (Japan Fireball Network), M. Tomita (Japan Fireball Network), K. Ohnishi (Nagano National College of Technology), and K. Torii (RIKEN) report: The sky area of GRB 030329 (Vanderspek, et al., GCN 1997) was contemporaneously photographed on 2003 March 29 by K. Sasaki and M. Tomita with all-sky patrol cameras. In the frames tabulated below, no significant object is found at the position of the optical afterglow (Peterson and Price, GCN 1985; Torii, GCN 1986). We derive preliminary upper limits for the optical transient by comparison with either 41 LMi (V=5.1) or 54 Leo (V=4.3) which is significantly detected. Data from KS ----------------------------- Start(UT) End(UT) Mag. ----------------------------- 10:40:00 10:59:58 >5.1 11:00:00 11:19:58 >5.1 11:20:00 11:39:58 >5.1 11:40:00 11:59:58 >5.1 ----------------------------- Data from MT ----------------------------- Start(UT) End(UT) Mag. ----------------------------- 10:30:00 10:59:00 >4.3 11:00:00 11:29:00 >4.3 11:30:00 11:59:00 >4.3 12:00:00 12:29:00 >4.3 12:30:00 12:59:00 >4.3 ----------------------------- Effective exposure for each frame, 399 s for KS and 580 s for MT, is 1/3 of the elapsed time due to a rotating shutter in front of the optics. Details of the instruments, originally designed for detecting fireballs (bright meteors), are as follows. Position of the observatory: KS Iwate, Japan 141d08m24s E, +39d28m22s N, 100m altitude Position of the observatory: MT Ishikawa, Japan 136d48m01s E, +36d55m39s N, 10m altitude The following instruments are common to the two observatories. Camera: Canon T70 with command back Optics: Canon New FD 15mm f/2.8 full-frame fish-eye lens, used at f/2.8 Filter: No Film: Kodak TMAX 400 Rotating shutter: Open fraction is 1/3 ---------------------------------------------