TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 8984 SUBJECT: GRB 090313: SDSS object underlying the optical afterglow position DATE: 09/03/13 13:26:03 GMT FROM: Edo Berger at Harvard E. Berger (Harvard) reports: "Inspection of archival Sloan Digital Sky Survey images reveals a faint (and apparently extended) object near the position of the optical afterglow (GCN 8979) of GRB 090313 (GCN 8980). The object is located at: RA = 13:13:36.08 DEC = 08:05:51.06 (J2000) which is 2.3" away from the optical afterglow position provided by Chornock et al. (GCN 8979). The SDSS model magnitudes of this object are: g = 22.8+/-0.3 r = 21.6+/-0.16 i = 21.1+/-0.18 z = 20.7+/-0.4 A much brigher galaxy is located 17.8" away from the optical afterglow position at: RA = 13:13:35.29 DEC = 08:05:38.54 (J2000) which we consider to be the galaxy mentioned by Chornock et al. (given its brightness). The SDSS model magnitudes of this galaxy are: u = 17.07+/-0.01 g = 16.02+/-0.01 r = 15.57+/-0.01 i = 15.32+/-0.01 z = 15.14+/-0.01 A direct determination of the afterglow redshift is required in order to determine which of the two objects is the host galaxy."