TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT 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 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.