TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  490
SUBJECT: GRB 991217 (SAX J2303.2+0015) Optical observations
DATE:    99/12/18 17:46:18 GMT
FROM:    Arne A. Henden at USNO/USRA  <aah@nofs.navy.mil>

A. Henden (USRA/USNO), F. Vrba, H. Harris, C. Luginbuhl,
B. Canzian, J. Munn, S. Levine, H. Guetter (USNO), D. H.
Hartmann (Clemson Univ.), M.C. Jennings (IGPP, UCR visitor),
J. A. Smith (U. Mich.) report:

We have imaged the BeppoSAX WFC error box for
SAX J2303.2+0015 (also referred to as GRB 991217) as
reported by Muller, et. al. (GCN 474).  Both the 1.0-m
and 1.3-m (wide field) telescopes were used, with
V and R exposures.

Conditions were marginal; light to moderate cirrus
illuminated by the moon prevented individual images
from going deeper than the DSS/POSS-II image.  However,
at that limit, we see no new object within the SAX
4.5 arcmin error box.