TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 6876 SUBJECT: GRB 071010A: bright NIR afterglow DATE: 07/10/11 01:07:21 GMT FROM: Daniele Malesani at Niels Bohr Inst,Dark Cosmology Center D. Malesani (DARK), V. D'Elia (INAF/OAR), S. Covino (INAF/OABr), G. Andreuzzi, A. Garcia de Gurtubai (INAF/TNG), and E. Maiorano (INAF/IASF Bo), report on behalf of a larger collaboration: We observed the optical afterglow of GRB 071010A (Moretti et al., GCN 6859; Klotz et al., GCN 6860) with the TNG telescope located in the Canary Islands. Observations were carried out with the NICS instrument equipped with the H filter, with mean time Oct 10.82 UT (15.7 hr after the GRB). At the position reported by Bloom et al. (GCN 6861), we clearly detect a pointlike object, with H = 16.62 +- 0.05. We note that this value is remarkably bright. Assuming typical afterglow colors (Fnu propto nu^-1), this corresponds to R ~ 19. When compared to the Keck photometry reported by Perley et al. (GCN 6872), this may suggest a flat segment or even a flaring behaviour. Alternatively, the afterglow may be very red. We thus encourage further observations to characterize the afterglow light curve and spectrum. This message can be cited.