TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 12677 SUBJECT: GRB 111211A: VLT/X-shooter redshift DATE: 11/12/13 14:22:36 GMT FROM: Silvia Piranomonte at OAR S.D. Vergani (OAB/INAF), S. Piranomonte (OAR/INAF), O.E.Hartoog (UvA, Netherland), V. D'Elia (ASDC/INAF), G. Cupani (OAT/INAF), A. de Ugarte Postigo (IAA-CSIC, DARK/NBI), T. Kruehler, J.P.U. Fynbo, Bo Milvang-Jensen, D. Malesani (DARK/NBI), P. Vreeswijk (U. Iceland), N. R. Tanvir (U. Leicester) and L. Kaper (UvA, Netherland) report on behalf of the X-shooter GTO GRB afterglow collaboration: The afterglow of the AGILE GRB 111211A (Lazzarotto et al., GCN 12666, Kann et al. 12668 and Kruehler et al. GCN 12675) was observed with the X-shooter spectrograph mounted on the ESO-VLT. Observations started around 7 UT on 13 December 2011 (1.3 days after the GRB). A series of four spectra of 600 s each were secured, covering the approximate wavelength range 3000-25000 AA. Preliminary reduction of the ultraviolet, visual and near-infrared parts of the spectra show a smooth continuum with some weak absorption features that we can identify with resonance absorption lines of FeII, MgII and CaII at a redshift of z=0.478, which very likely correspond to the redshift of GRB 111211A. Weak emission lines ([O III] doublet and Halpha) are also observed at the same redshift. We thank D.A. Kann for providing us the GROND finding chart and we are grateful for the excellent support from the Paranal Observatory staff, in particular Willem-Jan de Wit (Shift coordinator), Dimitri Gadotti (Night Astronomer), Marcelo Lopez (Telescope and Instrument Operator) and Gabriel Brammer (Day Astronomer). ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.