//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 258 SUBJECT: GRB990217, WFC position DATE: 99/02/17 14:09:13 GMT FROM: Luigi Piro at IAS/CNR Frascati Luigi Piro, BeppoSAX Mission Scientist, reports: GB990217 refined WFC positions are: R.A.(2000)= 45.7177 DEC(2000)= -53.0935 with an error radius of about 3' A follow-on with NFI will start today around 12.00 UT //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 259 SUBJECT: GRB990217 Optical observation DATE: 99/02/18 21:26:26 GMT FROM: Brad Schaefer at Yale U Bradley E. Schaefer (Yale) reports: "I have examined the BeppoSAX error circle for GRB990217 (Tarei et al. IAUCirc 7110) with the Yale 1-m telescope on Cerro Tololo. At this early time, the only comparison available is the Digital Sky Survey, and no optical transient is apparent. The images were taken in R and I starting at 18 February 2:17 UT with 900s exposures, and these reach considerably deeper than the Digital Sky Survey." //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 262 SUBJECT: Optical Observations of GRB990217 DATE: 99/02/19 18:06:55 GMT FROM: Elena Pian at ITESRE-CNR,Bologna GRB 990217 B and R band observations E. Palazzi, N. Masetti, E. Pian, F. Frontera (ITESRE-CNR, Bologna), P.M. Vreeswijk, E. Rol, T.J. Galama, G. Dubus (U. of Amsterdam), J. van Paradijs (U. of Amsterdam and U. of Alabama in Huntsville), C. Kouveliotou (NASA-MSFC/USRA), O. Hainaut (ESO), C. Tinney (AAT), T. Axelrod, B. Schmidt, and H. Jones (MSSSO), on behalf of a large collaboration, report: "Images of the GRB 990217 error box (Tarei et al. 1999, IAU Circ. 7110) were acquired on 1999 Feb 17.50 UT at Siding Spring with the 40-inch telescope (R band), on Feb 17.48 at Mount Stromlo with the 74-inch telescope (R), on Feb 17.54 with the 50-inch telescope (B and R), on Feb 18.03-18.07 and Feb 19.04-19.12 at ESO-La Silla with NTT+EMMI (B and R). Limiting magnitudes were R~22.5 for the 40-inch, B~20 and R~21 for the 50-inch, R~22 for the 74-inch, B~24.5 and R~24.5 for NTT on Feb 18, and B~24 and R~23.5 for NTT on Feb 19. Comparison between the NTT images of Feb 18 and 19 shows no object varying by more than 0.3 magnitudes down to R~23.5 and B~24 within the error box in either band. Similarly, the comparison between the 40-inch and the Feb 18 NTT R band images shows no object varying by more than 0.3 magnitudes down to R~22.5 within the error box. This message can be cited." //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 266 SUBJECT: GRB 990217, radio observations DATE: 99/02/24 03:08:48 GMT FROM: Dale A. Frail at NRAO R. Wark (CSIRO), M. Wieringa (CSIRO), D. A. Frail (NRAO) and S. R. Kulkarni (Caltech) report on behalf of a larger collaboration: "Beginning at 7:39 UT on 1999 February 18 we observed a region covering the WFC error circle of GRB 990217 (GCN #258, IAU Circ 7710) with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 4.8 GHz and 8.6 GHz. The total observing time was 3.6 hours. Within a 3 arcmin radius around the GRB position no radio sources were detected down to 0.28 mJy (5 sigma) at either frequency. Deeper ATCA observations are planned for this week." This message is citeable. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 267 SUBJECT: GRB 990217 Optical Observations DATE: 99/02/26 16:07:14 GMT FROM: Holger Pedersen at Copenhagen U Obs K. Pedersen (Danish Space Research Institute, Copenhagen), J. Hjorth, H. Pedersen (Copenhagen University Observatory), and A.O. Jaunsen (Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, Oslo) report: We have observed the field of GRB 990217 (Tarei et al., IAUC 7110), using the DFOSC instrument on the 1.54-m Danish telescope at La Silla. All exposures were done in the R band. The field covered was 13.6 x 13.6 arcminutes, hence significantly larger than the BeppoSAX error circle. UTC (mid exposure) Exp. Seeing (fwhm) Limit 1999 Feb 19.049 1200 s 1.4" < 23.1 1999 Feb 20.034 1000 s 1.4" < 23.0 1999 Feb 24.037 600 s 1.2" < 22.8 Intercomparison of the exposure shows no variable object.