TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  5217
SUBJECT: GRB 060512: Keck Redshift
DATE:    06/06/05 11:24:28 GMT
FROM:    Josh Bloom at UC Berkeley  <jbloom@astron.berkeley.edu>

GRB 060512: Keck Redshift

J. S. Bloom, R. J. Foley, D. Koceveki, D. Perley (UC Berkeley) report:

"On 31 May 2006 UT, we observed a source consistent with the position  
of the X-ray and optical afterglow of GRB 060512 (Cummings et al. GCN  
5117; Mundell et al. GCN 5119) with the Keck I (+LRIS) telescope. In  
a single 1200 sec spectrum we detect emission features at 5380, 7014,  
7155, and 7224 Ang which we identify as [O II] 3727, H beta, and [O  
III] 4959, 5007 at a redshift of z = 0.4428. The [O II] feature is  
resolved as a doublet. This source is therefore is likely the host  
(cf. Cenko et al. GCN 5156). This redshift confirms the hypothesis by  
Piranomonte et al. (GCN 5145), that z_GRB < 2.3, would apparently  
refute the claim that at z_GRB ~ 2.7 - 2.9 (Starling et al. GCN  
5131).  Analysis of other imaging and spectra is on going. Given the  
relatively low redshift and the current time since the burst,  
observations are encouraged to search for any associated supernova  
which would currently be near peak brightness."

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