TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  1080
SUBJECT: GRB 010629 Optical Observations
DATE:    01/07/02 13:38:31 GMT
FROM:    Jens Hjorth at U.Copenhagen  <jens@astro.ku.dk>

M. I. Andersen (U. of Oulu), 
B. L. Jensen, J. Hjorth, H. Pedersen (U. of Copenhagen),
H. Kjeldsen, (U. of Aarhus), 
J. Gorosabel (DSRI, Copenhagen), J. U. Fynbo (ESO) report:

We have obtained optical follow-up observations of the central part 
of the HETE-2/IPN error box of GRB 010629 (cf. GCN ##1075,1076)
starting 11h 41m after the burst trigger. Using DFOSC on the
1.54-m Danish telescope, La Silla, covering a 13.7' by 13.7'
field of view, the following images were acquired:

2001 June 29 00:02 - 00:52 UT   Gunn I ; 3x900s  seeing = 1.50"
2001 June 30 02:50 - 03:57 UT   Gunn I ; 4x900s  seeing = 0.75"

centered on

RA(J2000)  =  16 32 27.5,  Dec(J2000) = -18 43 32

Our data analysis does not reveal any obvious afterglow candidate in 
this field, to an estimated limiting magnitude of 20.5. As noted by 
Henden (GCN #1077) this field has a high Galactic extinction 
(A_I=1.18 according to Schlegel et al. 1998), making the search for 
an afterglow intrinsically less deep. The proposed high proper motion 
star mentioned by Henden is not covered by our images, while the astroid 
mentioned by Halpern & Mirabal (GCN #1079) is seen in the images from 
June 30th.