GCN Circular 44

J. Larkin, A. Ghez (UCLA) in collaboration with S. Kulkarni,
S. Djorgovski (Caltech), D. Frail, and G. Taylor (NRAO) report:

We have detected a near infrared counterpart to the variable radio
source detected at the VLA by Taylor et al. (see GCNC#40),
the R-band source reported by Djorgovski et al. (see GCNC#41), and
the possible I-band transient reported by Klose (GCNC#43).  Preliminary
analysis of observations obtained on UT 1998 April 02 and April 03 at
the Keck-I 10-m telescope reveal a K = 21.0 mag source that does not
show strong variations (delta K < 0.5 mag).  The infrared, optical and radio
positions all agree to within the astrometric uncertainties of about 
0.5 arcsecond.

We suggest that a possible explanation for the relatively red color
of the host galaxy (R-K = 4.7 mag) and the lack of optical transient 
detections may be dust obscuration.

This note can be cited.