EP-WXT01709258519 likely linked to Mrk 421, no optical transient detected.

AI Summary

The Einstein Probe WXT triggered on February 21, 2026, at coordinates corresponding to the known gamma-ray blazar Mrk 421. No optical transient was found in follow-up observations conducted by the Xinglong Observatory.

Measurements

Event ID01709258519
SourceEinstein Probe WXT
Alert typeGRB
Significancelow
Trigger time (UTC)Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:28:55 GMT
Right ascension (J2000)166.254°
Declination (J2000)38.209°
Position error radius0.05117579°
Image SNR7
GCN notices1
GCN circulars3

Notices (1)

Einstein Probe WXT — GRB · Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:28:55 GMT

GCN Circulars (3)

GCN-44232 — EP-WXT01709259586 · Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:12:09 GMT
Astronomical alert: EP-WXT01709259586: Xinglong optical upper limit

GCN-43799 — EP-WXT01709258519 · Sat, 21 Feb 2026 21:25:15 GMT
The Xinglong Observatory at NAOC reported no detection of a new optical transient in the field of EP-WXT01709258519 using the 2.16-m telescope. The team obtained three 300s clear-band frames with a limiting magnitude of 21.01 mag, which is 11 hours after the EP trigger.

GCN-43790 — The EP-WXT trigger 01709258519 is likely caused by Mrk 421 · Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:01:16 GMT
The EP-WXT trigger 01709258519, detected on February 21, 2026, is likely linked to the known active galaxy Mrk 421. This event was observed by the Einstein Probe (EP), a space X-ray observatory launched in January 2024.

View live event on Starithm

AI summary generated Sun, 26 Jul 2026 12:17:37 GMT.