TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 17177 SUBJECT: GRB 141212A: Gemini-N spectroscopy and photometry DATE: 14/12/13 07:52:21 GMT FROM: Ryan Chornock at Ohio U R. Chornock (Ohio University), W. Fong (University of Arizona), and D. B. Fox (Penn State) report: We obtained imaging and spectroscopy of the field of the short GRB 141212A (Ukwatta et al., GCN 17158) using GMOS on the 8 m Gemini-North telescope starting at 04:35 UT on 13 December, 16.4 hours after the BAT trigger. In 5x180s of i-band imaging with 0.5" seeing, all three objects found by Malesani et al. (GCN 17170) are well detected. Using an archival calibration, we measure i=22.2 +/- 0.1 mag for object A, the extended object present inside the enhanced XRT error circle (Osborne et al., GCN 17164). In addition, we oriented a spectroscopic slit through both extended objects A and B (using the terminology of Malesani et al.). We obtained 2x900s of spectroscopy with the R400 grating covering the wavelength range 5890-10100 Angs. Both galaxies exhibit prominent nebular line emission from [O II], H-beta, and [O III]. Galaxy A, the likely host, has a redshift of z=0.596, while Galaxy B has a redshift of z=0.672.