RECOVERY OF THE X-RAY TRANSIENT QX NORMAE (=X1608-52) IN OUTBURST ANDQUIESCENCE

We present optical and near-IR observations of QX Nor, the counterpart to the recurrent soft X-ray transient X1608-52, after its reappearanc e following the X-ray outburst in 1996 February. The object has been s een only once before, during an X-ray outburst in 1977. Data from 3 to 5 months after the outburst show the counterpart at a mean magnitude of R = 20.2 and variable on timescales of days. A comparison with iden tical observations in 1995 implies that the object has brightened by a t least 1.8 mag in R following the X-ray outburst. We also detected QX Nor in the IR in both quiescence and outburst. A faint source is visi ble in the J but not the R band in 1995 May. These first observations in the quiescent state yield magnitudes and colors consistent with opt ical emission from a low-mass companion in the binary system, as is tr ue in other soft X-ray transients.