TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  1400
SUBJECT: GRB020531: Optical observations
DATE:    02/05/31 13:02:15 GMT
FROM:    Derek Fox at CIT  <derekfox@astro.caltech.edu>

D.W. Fox and J.S. Bloom (Caltech) report on behalf of a larger
collaboration:  

"We have observed the full error box of GRB020531 (Ricker et al., GCN
#1399) with the Palomar Oschin Telescope + NEAT with three 120s
exposures beginning on 04:50 UT 31 May 2002, less then 4.5 hours after
the burst.  The summed exposure reaches to the POSS plate limit,
R~18.  Visual comparison of the image against the Digitized Sky Survey
(DSS/SES) has not yet allowed us to identify any bright new stationary
objects.  We identify two asteroids which are present at J2000
coordinates 

    Ast 1:   15:13:08.12  -19:22:13.1
    Ast 2:   15:13:49.81  -19:29:13.1

at the epoch of our first image.  Further analysis of these data are
in progress."