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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1380      1999 Feb 01 20.32UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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GRB 990123 (=Q1999/009)
S.C.Odewaho, et.al., California Institute of Technology have
reported the detection of the optical component of a Gamma Ray
Burster on 1999 Jan 23.56UT with the Palomar 1.52-m reflector at:
RA 15h25m30.5s DEC +44 46'00"(2000).
Nothing was found on the first Palomar Sky Survey but on the second
Palomar Sky Survey an image of R=21.3 may be the candidate. Several
observatories responded to an initial alert from which appears that on
Jan 23 the object brightened from 11.82 to 8.95 thereafter
fading to  around magnitude 21 in about 24 hours.

It has been suggested that this bright optical flash may recur
once or several times over the coming days or months. TA observers
are asked to monitor this field visually, photographically and
with CCDs and telephone the editor immediately if the object
is detected again.

This appears to represent a so far unique opportunity to detect
a recurrent gamma ray burster with bright optical flashes so please
give this a HIGH PRIORITY.

An e-chart and very approximate sequence follow:
\\\\\\GRB990123 c              Gamma-Ray Burster
S,400,5,S
-C,15.4253, 44.7667,2000
O,200,200,8.9,21.0?
-L,R,GRB
-T,Seq:USNO A2.0
-S,TA990201
P,15h 25.5m  +44 46'  (2000)
R,11.6,190,146,A
R,13.0,106,193,B
R,13.4,126,243,C
R,14.7,192,195,D
M,11,338,395,305,110,303,171,358,185,278,114,250,30
M,11,365,21
M,12,359,379,87,329,59,248,81,105,201,101,108,212,69,61
M,12,370,190,272,29
M,13,310,372,254,360,302,342,316,115,63,121,231,116,387,254
M,13,92,208,356,244,399,274,24,125,199,39,4,73,350,70
M,13,137,14
M,14,155,385,196,394,155,395,322,338,116,49,50,186,262,179
M,14,310,185,339,45,121,192,240,221,104,33,314,283,216,43
M,14,211,40
M,15,280,392,270,368,225,365,189,360,316,373,99,315,328,380
M,15,398,293,286,347,240,141,317,270,255,196,311,56
M,15,36,218,315,140,198,95,89,251,126,145,212,217,321,158
M,15,334,74,285,118,4,18,380,9
M,16,161,369
E,76
////// Basic chart automatically generated by CHART ver 1.6

Guy M Hurst