Gamma-ray burst data obtained with BATSE are available on three timescales
in order to serve different users. GRB location information and selected
ancillary GRB data are made available in near realtime and distributed by
the GCN (formerly BACODINE) network system
(Barthelmy et al. 1999). These
data are used by a number of robotic telescope systems currently in
operation and under development. The BATSE Rapid Burst Response (RBR)
locations are generated by on-call BATSE personnel in Huntsville who
manually process data from selected intense GRBs. A typical location
accuracy of 
2 degrees is obtained for a strong burst, significantly
better than that possible with the automated BACODINE system. These RBR
locations are only performed about twice per week, for the stronger
bursts. The derived locations are usually processed within twenty
minutes and are distributed via the GCN network.
The most comprehensive set of BATSE GRB data are in the periodically
updated BATSE catalog now available on the Web. After eight years of
operation, the BATSE GRB data set continues to provide the major fraction
of GRB data in the energy range from 20 keV to 2 MeV. Most
data, including time profiles, are available within several days of their
occurrence. It is anticipated that BATSE and the Compton Observatory will
remain operational for at least another five years.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to T. Giblin for his help in preparing figures and the manuscript.
Copyright The European Southern Observatory (ESO)