Special and unique optical monitoring request - 1522+45 GRB 990123
Active Dates: Jan. 23, 1999 – April 23, 1999
Abstract:
We have been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, Dr. Howard Bond, Space Telescope Science Institute, and Dr. Chryssa Kouveliotou, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and BATSE Team member, that a gamma-ray burst accompanied by an unprecedentedly bright optical flash has been detected by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) instrument aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory satellite on January 23.40764 UT, and by the Gamma Ray Burst Monitor instrument aboard the BeppoSAX satellite on January 23.40780 UT. This event is potentially a very important one for our observers because the bright optical flash may occur again once or several times, and so the area should be monitored.
Justification:
An exciting aspect of this object is the suggestion by S.G. Djorgovski et al. that GRB 990123 was gravitationally lensed (which might account for the extraordinary apparent luminosity). This raises the possibility, emphasized by E. Turner, that the gamma-ray and optical bursts may recur in the next few days to months, due to lensing time delays along different paths to the Earth. It would thus be very worthwhile for AAVSO members to monitor this position constantly, even with small telescopes or binoculars, to search for such repeated optical transients, which could in principle even reach to brighter than 8th magnitude for a few seconds.
Requested Data Types:
Photometry
Spectroscopy Lines:
No spectroscopy lines provided
Photometry Filters:
V (Johnson), r (Sloan)
Comparison Stars:
No comparison stars provided
Co-Authorship
Observers are not eligible for co-authorship.
Additional Observer Input:
Not provided
Additional Submission Location:
Not provided
Forum URL
N/A
Notes:
Principal Investigator: N/A; Imported Campaign (Alert Notice #253)