Optical Spectra and Light Curves of Supernovae

I review recent optical observations of supernovae (SNe) conducted by my group. The Lick Observatory Supernova Search with the 0.76-m Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope is currently the world's most successful search for nearby SNe. We also use this telescope to obtain multicolor light curves of SNe. One of the more interesting SNe we discovered is SN 2000cx, which differs from all previously observed SNe Ia. Another very strange SN Ia that we studied is SN 2002cx, many of whose properties are opposite those of SN 2000cx. Extensive data on SNe II-P 1999em and 1999gi were used to derive distances with the expanding photosphere method. Results from spectropolarimetry suggest that the deeper we peer into the ejecta of core-collapse SNe, the greater the asphericity. We are using Hubble Space Telescope data to identify, or set limits on, the progenitors of core-collapse SNe.