TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  5131
SUBJECT: VLT optical spectroscopy of GRB 060512
DATE:    06/05/14 17:34:10 GMT
FROM:    Rhaana Starling at GRACE/U of Amsterdam  <starling@science.uva.nl>

R. Starling (Amsterdam), C.C. Thoene, J.P.U. Fynbo (DARK),
P. Vreeswijk (ESO) and J. Hjorth (DARK) report on behalf of
a larger collaboration:

We observed the optical transient of GRB 060512 (first reported
by Cummings et al. GCN 5117) with the ESO FORS1 Long Slit
Spectrograph under poor observing conditions, beginning at
2006-05-13 02:06:43 UT with an exposure of 2x1800s.
The spectrum covers the range 3850-8750A.

Preliminary analysis shows the afterglow to be blue, consistent
with the magnitudes given in De Pasquale & Cummings (GCN 5130).

We report a break in the continuum around 4800A and bluewards
which, if identified as the onset of the Lyman-alpha forest,
indicates a redshift in the range z ~ 2.7-2.9. The signal-to-noise
is too low to allow identification of further lines.

We thank the staff and observers at ESO Paranal.