TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 19565 SUBJECT: GRB160624A:possible GRB host redshift DATE: 16/06/24 13:38:07 GMT FROM: Antonino Cucchiara at NASA/GSFC A. Cucchiara (STScI/GSFC) and A. J. Levan (U. Warwick) report on behalf of a larger collaboration: On June 24, 12:12:58 UT (~T+46min after the burst) we observed the field of the Swift short GRB160624A (D’Ai et al. GCN 19560, Evans et al. GCN 19562) with the GMOS-N camera mounted on the Gemini North telescope. In a 180s r’-band acquisition image a galaxy is identified within the enhanced XRT error circle. The galaxy is also visible in SDSS. We performed a 900s spectroscopic observation with the R400 grating covering the 3800-8100 Angstrom wavelength range. The galaxy spectrum reveals emission features of [OIII]5007, H-beta and [OII]3727 at the common redshift of z=0.483. We also obtained deeper r’ band imaging with the GMOS camera: no other source is detected in the enhanced error circle down to a limiting magnitude of r’~25.5, although we are not sensitive to possible faint point source superposed on the galaxy light. We thank the Gemini staff for their extremely rapid response, in particular Andrew Stephens.