TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  2463
SUBJECT: GRB 031203: Optical/IR SMARTS Observations
DATE:    03/12/04 06:54:33 GMT
FROM:    Josh Bloom at Harvard/CFA  <jbloom@cfa.harvard.edu>

GRB 031203: Optical/IR SMARTS Observations

C. Bailyn, M. Buxton, B. Cobb, P. van Dokkum (Yale), J. S. Bloom 
(Harvard/CfA) and J. Espinoza (CTIO), part of the larger SMARTS 
consortium, report:

"Using the ANDICAM instrument on the 1.3m telescope at CTIO, we 
obtained optical/IR imaging at the location of the INTEGRAL 
GRB 031203 (GCN #2459) starting at 4 December 2003 3h00m UT.  
Comparison of optical images obtained between UT=3:00 and UT=5:37 
revealed no variable object down to I=19 mag.  J and K band images 
were also obtained during this time, and show no anomalous objects 
when compared to the 2MASS survey. Owing to the heavy extinction 
towards this GRB---E(B-V) = 0.971 mag (Schlegel, Finkbeiner, 
& Davis ApJ 500, 525 1998)---red and infrared imaging is particularly 
encouraged."

For more information on the SMARTS consortium see:
   http://www.astro.yale.edu/smarts/

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