TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  19565
SUBJECT: GRB160624A:possible GRB host redshift
DATE:    16/06/24 13:38:07 GMT
FROM:    Antonino Cucchiara at NASA/GSFC  <antonino.cucchiara@nasa.gov>

A. Cucchiara (STScI/GSFC) and A. J. Levan (U. Warwick)
report on behalf of a larger collaboration:

On June 24, 12:12:58 UT (~T+46min after the burst) we observed
the field of the Swift short GRB160624A (D���Ai  et al. GCN 19560, 
Evans et al. GCN 19562) with the GMOS-N camera mounted on the
Gemini North telescope.

In a 180s r���-band acquisition image a galaxy is identified 
within the enhanced XRT error circle. The galaxy is also visible 
in SDSS. We performed a 900s spectroscopic observation with the 
R400 grating covering the 3800-8100 Angstrom wavelength range.

The galaxy spectrum reveals emission features of [OIII]5007, 
H-beta and [OII]3727 at the common redshift of z=0.483.

We also obtained deeper r��� band imaging with the GMOS camera: no
other source is detected in the enhanced error circle down to 
a limiting magnitude of r���~25.5, although we are not sensitive to
possible faint point source superposed on the galaxy light.

We thank the Gemini staff for their extremely rapid
response, in particular Andrew Stephens.