RX J2217.9--5941: A highly X-ray variable Narrow-Line Seyfert1 galaxy

We report the discovery of a highly X-ray variable AGN, RX J2217.9-5941. This object was bright during the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS), during which a decrease in the count rate by a factor of 12 was observed. It was found to be much fainter in follow-up HRI observations and is therefore an X-ray transient AGN candidate. On long time scales of years, its count rate decreased by a factor of about 30 between the RASS and the ROSAT HRI and ASCA observations in 1998. Analysis of the ASCA data, complicated by source confusion and poor statistics, tentatively indicates a steep spectrum in the faint state. There is no evidence for variability among 5 optical observations of the object obtained between 1992 and 1998. We discuss the variability of RX J2217.9-5941 and its possible X-ray transient nature.