TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 1295 SUBJECT: GRB020322, optical observations DATE: 02/03/23 00:18:01 GMT FROM: Peter Garnavich at U of Notre Dame A. Szentgyorgyi, K. Z. Stanek, S. Jha (CfA) and P. Garnavich (Notre Dame) We imaged the BeppoSax position of GRB 020322 (GCN 1290) using the FLWO 1.2m + 4shooter camera beginning Mar. 22.44 (UT). Condidtions were not ideal, but no new sources were detected in the R-band to the limit of the red digitized Palomar Sky Survey. At the position of the XMM-Newton X-ray afterglow (GCN 1293) we find no optical source within the 6" radius error circle to a limit of R=22.5 mag. (based on USNO A2.0 R-band magnitudes). However, there is a faint source just north of the the XMM error circle at RA=18:01:04.03 Dec=81:06:41.87 J2000 with R=21.9. This is close to the DSS limit and it is too faint to determine variability, so we can not confirm that it is related to the X-ray afterglow. An image is available at: http://www.nd.edu/~pgarnavi/grb020322/newton_candidate.jpg The source noted by Bloom et al. (GCN 1294), is below our detection limit. This message may be cited.