A new candidate Luminous Blue Variable
  We identify IRAS 16115-5044, which was previously classified as a
protoplanetary nebula (PPN), as a candidate luminous blue variable (LBV). The
star has high luminosity (>10$^{5.75}$ L_Sun), ensuring supergiant status, has
a temperature similar to LBVs, is photometrically and spectroscopically
variable, and is surrounded by warm dust. Its near-infrared spectrum shows the
presence of several lines of HI, He I, Fe II, Fe [II], MgII, and Na I with
shapes ranging from pure absorption and P Cygni profiles to full emission.
These characteristics are often observed together in the relatively rare LBV
class of stars, of which only $\approx$20 are known in the Galaxy. The key to
the new classification is the fact that we compute a new distance and
extinction that yields a luminosity significantly in excess of those for
post-AGB PPNe, for which the initial masses are <8 M_Sun. Assuming single star
evolution, we estimate an initial mass of $\approx$40 M_Sun.
