TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 13460 SUBJECT: GRB 120712A: VLT/Xshooter redshift DATE: 12/07/13 03:07:57 GMT FROM: Dong Xu at Weizmann Inst D. Xu (WIS), J. P. U. Fynbo (DARK/NBI), V. D'Elia (ASDC, INAF), N. R. Tanvir (U. Leicester) report on behalf of the X-shooter GRB GTO collaboration: We observed the field of GRB 120712A (Page et al., GCN 13454) with the ESO VLT equipped with the X-shooter spectrograph. Observations started at 00:06 UT on 2012-07-13 (10.4 hr after the BAT trigger), for a total exposure time of ~60 min in each of the UVB, VIS, and NIR arms, covering the wavelength range 3000-25000A. The spectrum exhibits a relatively broad trough (centered at ~6292A) which we interpreted as Lyman-alpha break. Redward of this feature the spectrum shows metals lines such as Mg II, Si II, and Fe II, all at a common redshift z=4.1745. We also measured the HI column density, logN(HI)~20.3, from the Lyman-alpha feature. We acknowledge the excellent support of the ESO observing staff, in particular Fernando J. Selman.