TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 296 SUBJECT: GRB 990506, armchair astronomy DATE: 99/05/07 08:07:16 GMT FROM: Jules Halpern at Columbia U. J. P. Halpern reports (from his office) that an optical object referred to in GCN #294 as "notably absent from the DSS image" is in fact visible on the STScI digitized version of a 1992 April 24 UK Schmidt plate, at J2000 position RA 11:54:52.9, Dec -26:43:40 with an uncertainty of about 1" (astrometry based on 12 stars from the USNO A-2.0 list with rms of 0.2"). While a variety of possible scenarios leap to mind to anyone familiar with the recent history of this subject, caution is urged. Go see for yourselves. This GCN note need not be cited.