TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 13019 SUBJECT: GRB 120308A: confirmation of the optical afterglow DATE: 12/03/08 08:06:37 GMT FROM: Alexei Pozanenko at IKI, Moscow L. Elenin (KIAM), I. Molotov (KIAM), A. Pozanenko (IKI) report on behalf of larger GRB follow-up collaboration: The 0.45-m telescope of ISON-NM observatory robotically followed up the field of the Swift GRB 120308A (Baumgartner et al., GCN 13017 ) on March 8, 06:16:55, i.e. 3.3 minutes after burst trigger. In the first frame of 30 s exposure we do not detect the optical afterglow (Virgili et al., GCN 13018 ) up to R~16m. However in a stacked several first images of 1800 s exposure we clearly detect new source in coordinates 14 36 19.95 +79 41 12.3 which are coincide with coordinates of the optical afterglow (Virgili et al., GCN 13018 ). The magnitude of the source at (UT) 06:38:10 (middle time) is R~17.30m. All images are unfiltered and calibrated against USNO-B1.0 R2 field stars. All results are preliminary. Observation is continuing.