TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 1465 SUBJECT: GRB020801: Imaging of Suggested OT Counterpart at the Magellan DATE: 02/08/04 00:09:52 GMT FROM: George Ricker at MIT GRB020801: Imaging of Suggested OT Counterpart at the Magellan Observatory M. Garcia and D. Rusin (CFA); N. Butler, A. Dullighan, G. Ricker, and R. Vanderspek (MIT) write: We have imaged the suggested optical counterpart of GRB020801 (Kilmartin and Gilmore; GCN 1462), which was localized in the X-ray band by HETE, with the LDSS-2 instrument on Magellan 1 (Walter A. Baade Telescope), obtaining two broadband CCD images. By comparing the Kilmartin-Gilmore object with the USNO A-2 stars in the field, we derive approximate magnitudes of 19.31 (03 Aug 2002, 02:01 UT) and 19.61 (03 Aug 2002, 02:20 UT) for the object. We estimate our magnitude conversion to R has a zero point rms error of 0.4 magnitudes, and that our internal photometric errors have rms errors of 0.03 magnitudes. The brightness of the Kilmartin-Gilmore object which we measure agrees well with that cited in GCN 1462, but also indicates that the object is variable. The lack of fading rules out this object as the GRB afterglow counterpart (as suggested by Fox and Price; GCN 1464); the fluctuations may indicate that it is a variable (dMe?) star. This message may be cited.