  The BeppoSAX Wide Field Cameras detected a transient in NGC6440 on 1998 Aug
22. ROSAT did not detect this source on 1998 Sep 8, indicating that the X-ray
flux had decreased by a factor 400 at least, and/or that the X-ray spectrum had
become appreciably softer. Analysis of archival ROSAT HRI data reveals two
sources associated with NGC6440; one of these may be the transient in
quiescence. We have also obtained B and R images of NGC6440 on 1998 Aug 26 and
again on 1999 July 15, when the transient had returned to quiescence.
Subtraction of these images reveals one object in the core which was brighter
in B, but not in R, during the X-ray outburst. We estimate B=22.7 and (B-R)o<0
on 1998 Aug 26, which makes it a viable candidate counterpart.
