TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 4809 SUBJECT: GRB 060218: emergence of the underlying SN spectrum DATE: 06/02/22 01:06:34 GMT FROM: Alberto Castro-Tirado at Inst.de Astro. de Andalucia T. A. Fatkhullin, V.V. Vlasyuk, V. V. Sokolov, A. V. Moiseev (SAO-RAS Nizhnij Arkhyz), S. Guziy and A. J. Castro-Tirado (IAA-CSIC Granada), on behalf of a larger collaboration, report: "We have obtained optical spectroscopy of the GRB 060218 optical counterpart (Cusumano et al. GCNC 4775) with the 6.0m BTA telescope of SAO-RAS in Zelenchuk, equipped with SCORPIO. First epoch spectroscopy in the 3500-7500 A range was obtained on Feb 20.65 UT, confirming z = 0.033 (Mirabal and Halpern GCNC 4792). Second epoch data was gathered on Feb 21.65 UT. Comparison between the two datasets clearly reveals continuum variations that we interpret as the emergence of the underlying type-Ic SN spectrum, strengthening the SN-GRB 060218 relationship first suggested by Masetti et al. (GCNC 4803). In particular, an "emission peak" at ~4500 A is showing up, possibly as a result of the blending of the Fe lines redward of this feature, giving rise to a broad absorption trough, as it was seen in the type Ic SNe 1997ef (Iwamoto et al. 2000, ApJ 534, 660) and 2002ap (Foley et al. 2003, PASP 115, 1220). Further spectroscopic observations are encouraged." [GCN OPS NOTE(22feb06): Per author's request, the 2nd author was added.]