TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  5237
SUBJECT: VLT/UVES observations of GRB 060607
DATE:    06/06/07 07:08:07 GMT
FROM:    Paul Vreeswijk at ESO  <pvreeswi@eso.org>

Cedric Ledoux (ESO), Paul Vreeswijk (U. of Chile/ESO), Alain Smette
(ESO), Andreas Jaunsen (U. of Oslo), and Andreas Kaufer (ESO) report
on behalf of a larger collaboration:

"We triggered Rapid-Response Mode VLT observations with the
Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) following the Swift
detection of GRB 060607 (Ziaeepour et al., GCN 5233). A series of
exposures were started at 5:19:52 UT, i.e. 7.5 minutes after the
Swift/BAT trigger. The spectra cover the approximate wavelength range
330-670nm at a resolving power of about 7 km/s. A preliminary analysis
shows the Lya forest up to a rather weak Lya line, as well as a CIV
doublet at a redshift of z=3.082, the presumed GRB redshift. We also
detect two probable intervening Damped Lya systems (DLAs) at z=3.050
and z=2.937.

It's a pleasure to thank the excellent support of the Paranal staff."