TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 8190 SUBJECT: GRB 080905A: NOT and VLT observations DATE: 08/09/06 18:40:26 GMT FROM: Daniele Malesani at Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Inst D. Malesani (DARK/NBI), A. de Ugarte Postigo (ESO), J. P. U. Fynbo (DARK/NBI), A. J. Levan (Univ. Warwick), E. Rol (Univ. Leicester), N. R. Tanvir (Univ. Leicester), C. C. Thoene (DARK/NBI), J. Telting (NOT), A. Baran (Cracow Univ.), report on behalf of a larger collaboration: We observed the field of the short GRB 080905A (Pagani et al., GCN 8180) with the NOT and the VLT telescopes equipped with ALFOSC and FORS2, respectively. The NOT observations started on 2008 Sep 5.854 UT (8.51 hr after the GRB) and the total exposure time was 30 min. The VLT observations started on 2008 Sep 6.097 UT (14.3 hr after the GRB) and the total exposure was 40 min. All images were taken with the R filter. Inside the XRT error circle, we detect a single, faint source with R ~ 24 (against USNO-B1 stars), visible in both the NOT and VLT images. No variability of the source can be robustly determined, hence we cannot assess the relationship of this object with the GRB, especially given the relatively crowded field (Galactic latitude -12.6). Further observations are planned. The coordinates of this object are: RA(J2000) = 19:10:41.73 Dec(J2000) = -18:52:47.3 with an error of ~0.6". We note that in our NOT images (seeing ~1"), the extended objects identified by Tristram et al. (GCN 8181) appear resolved into several pointlike sources. Finding charts can be found at the following URL: http://www.astro.ku.dk/~malesani/GRB/080905A We acknowledge significant support from the observing staff at Paranal, in particular Swetlana Hubrig, Elena Mason and Andres Pino.