[vsnet-chat 2470] GRB 991216 - Summary

[aah@nofs.navy.mil]

I've placed on
http://ftp.nofs.navy.mil/pub/outgoing/aah/grb/991216.txt
a diary of the observations for this bright gamma-ray
burst.  Note that the burst was reasonably well
localized by 6 hours after the burst, but no optical
observatory has reported an image of the optical
transient earlier than 11 hours after the burst.
By this time, the GRB had faded to R=18.8.
  Note also that almost any amateur with a telescope
with an unfiltered CCD could have observed this
optical transient.  I posted information early enough
for most Europeans to have tried, and the source
was still 'bright' by the time it was viewable
in the U.S.  Did anyone detect the transient?
  The HETE-II satellite is due to be launched in
about a month.  This satellite will deliver arcmin
positions within seconds after a burst.  The regime
from burst until about 8hrs after the burst is
largely unexplored, and amateurs with quick response
may be able to contribute important observations,
especially if they can use a standard filter like R.
The AAVSO is already discussing involvement with
Marshall Space Flight Center.  This is not the usual type
of variable star observations that maillist participants
are used to, yet this is not that different than
novae or supernovae observations.  I hope some
readers get involved!  There are only about a dozen
professional observatories that can contribute data on
a given burst, and often they get clouded out or
have the wrong instrumentation on the telescope.
Arne

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