GX 339-4 = 4u 1658-48

Oda and the Hakucho Team also report that this object, a suggested black-hole candidate (Grindlay 1979, Ap. J. 232 L33), was observed from Hakucho during Apr. 7.4-9.8 UT. Preliminary data indicate the x-ray luminosity was low (see also IAUC 3586), with an intensity upper limit of 30 Uhuru cts/s. Hakucho will make occasional observations of this source again during May-July. Optical observations during the x-ray faint state are important. A. B. Giles, University of Tasmania; and D. J. Adams, University of Leicester, report the following infrared observations, made with the Anglo-Australian Telescope: 1980 Apr. 24.75 UT, J = 15.07 +/- 0.03, H = 14.81 +/- 0.05, 14.42 +/- 0.05; 25.78, 15.54 +/- 0.13, 15.10 +/- 0.19, 14.49 +/- 0.20. Comparison of the TV finder with the ESO-B plate finder chart suggested B ~ 18 at the time, as has been historically more usual for the source. The infrared excess supports a stellar-wind mass-loss model.