The IR counterpart of the black-hole candidate 4U 1630-47

We present K band photometry of the region including the radio error box of the soft X-ray transient 4U 1630-47 during its 1998 outburst. We detect a variable source at K=16.1 mag located inside the radio error circle which we identify as the counterpart to the X-ray source. We discuss the properties of the source, and conclude that it is most likely a black-hole X-ray binary similar to 4U 1543-47, GRO J1655-40 or SAX J1819.3-2525, containing a relatively early-type secondary.