TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  2856
SUBJECT: GRB041217: NIR and optical observations with REM
DATE:    04/12/18 15:02:22 GMT
FROM:    Gianpiero Tagliaferri at OAB-INAF  <taglia@merate.mi.astro.it>

Testa V., Tosti G., Monfardini A., Covino S., Tagliaferri G.,
Chincarini G., Zerbi F., Molinari E., Di Paola A., Rodono' M.,
Antonelli L.A., Conconi P., Cutispoto G., Nicastro L., Palazzi E.,
on behalf of the REM/ROSS team.

We imaged in the NIR and optical bands with the REM 60cm robotic
telescope at ESO-La Silla the central field of GRB041217, detected
by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (D. Palmer et al. GCN 2853). The
observations were carried out on 2004, December 18, from 05:28 to
06:00 UT (i.e. 22 hours after the burst, as soon as the field was visible
from the telescope site), with the REMIR near-IR camera (10x10 arcmin
FOV, JHK filters) and with the ROSS spectrograph/imager in the
optical (10x10 arcmin FOV, VRI filters).

The observations were carried out under good seeing conditions, but
with an airmass of about 2. The total exposure times were of J: 600s,
H: 600s, K: 300s,V: 120s, R: 120s and I: 120s.

The comparison with the 2MASS catalog did not reveal new IR sources at
the limit of the catalog. Also the optical observations did not show any
plausible candidates. New observation are planned for tonight.

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