Molly Hammell (Dartmouth), J. P. Halpern, & N. Mirabal (Columbia U.) report
on behalf of the MDM Observatory GRB follow-up team:

"Using the MDM 1.3m, we obtained 120 minutes of exposure in the K band centered 
at Oct. 31.11 UT, 20 hours after the burst.  All of the 2.1' radius refined BeppoSAX 
error circle (in 't Zand et al., GCN #1123) was covered.  A follow-up observation
was performed on Nov. 1.20 UT, with 40 minutes of exposure.  Conditions were not 
photometric, and these images have not been calibrated.  However, no afterglow 
candidate has been found to an approximate limiting magnitude K > 18.  Additional
observations on Nov. 1 covering the position of the radio source VLA J2042+7718
reported by Taylor et al. (GCN #1122) reveal no detection to a slightly deeper
limiting magnitude.  A prominent galaxy is seen at the position of the radio 
source VLA J2044+7717 (see also Rol et al., GCN #1124).  It is constant to better
than 0.05 mag.

I-band images were also obtained on both nights using the MDM 2.4m.  Results of
these will be reported subsequently.

A K-band image is posted at
http://www.astro.columbia.edu/~jules/grb/011030

This message may be cited."

J. P. Halpern, N. Mirabal (Columbia), Chris Burke, & D. L. DePoy (Ohio State),   
report on behalf of the MDM Observatory GRB follow-up team:

"Using the MDM 2.4m, we obtained 15 minutes of exposure in the I band centered 
at Oct. 31.21 UT, 22.5 hours after the burst.  All of the 2.1' radius refined 
BeppoSAX error circle (in 't Zand et al., GCN #1123) was covered.  A follow-up 
observation was performed on Nov. 1.22 UT, with 15 minutes of exposure.  
Conditions were not photometric, and these images have not been calibrated.  
However, no afterglow candidate has been found to a limit approximately 1 mag
fainter than the POSS-II IVN plate, or I_c > 20.5.

An I-band image is posted at
http://www.astro.columbia.edu/~jules/grb/011030

This message may be cited."

J. P. Halpern, N. Mirabal (Columbia), C. Burke, D. L. DePoy (Ohio State), &
S. Gaudi (IAS), report on behalf of the MDM Observatory GRB follow-up team:

"Using the MDM 2.4m, we reobserved this location in the I band on Nov. 9.23 UT.
In two 8 minute exposures in seeing of 1.2 arcseconds, there is a possible
detection at the 2 sigma level of an object at position (J2000) 20:43:31.94,
+77:17:19.0, which is 1.2 arcseconds west of the position reported for the new 
radio source that appeared on Nov 8.80 (Taylor et al. GCN #1136).  Assuming
for a calibration that the faintest objects on the POSS-II IVN plates have 
I=19.5, this possible counterpart would have I=22.5.  Given the marginal
level of this detection and its absence on previous images of comparable
depth on Nov. 1, confirmation would be required.  Alternatively, this may
be considered an upper limit to the optical brightness of the radio source.

The new image is posted at
http://www.astro.columbia.edu/~jules/grb/011030

This message may be cited."