TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  8039
SUBJECT: GRB 080727A: VLT upper limits
DATE:    08/07/28 08:05:37 GMT
FROM:    Daniele Malesani at Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Inst  <malesani@astro.ku.dk>

D. Malesani (DARK), P. Jakobsson (Univ. Hertfordshire), A. J. Levan 
(Univ. Warwick), E. Rol (Univ. Leicester), J. P. U. Fynbo (DARK), report 
on behalf of a larger collaboration.

We observed the field of GRB 080727A (Immler et al., GCN 8021) with the 
ESO VLT equipped with FORS1. Observations started on 2008 Jul 27.979 UT, 
17.5 hr after the burst, for a total exposure time of 900 s in the R filter.

Inside the refined XRT error circle (Evans et al., GCN 8025), we detect 
no new source down to a limiting magnitude R~26. Calibration was based 
on tabulated zeropoints and is in rough agreement with USNO-B1 stars.

We acknowledge kind support from the observing staff at Paranal, 
particularly Suzanna Randall, Karla Aubel, and Alain Smette.