An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A supernova type whose spectrum contains hydrogen lines. Compared with → Type I supernovae, its → light curve has a broader peak at maximum and dies away more rapidly. The magnitudes are smaller, ranging from M_V = -12 to -13.5, and the ejecta have lower velocities (about 5,000 km/sec). These supernovae, which result from the final evolution of
→ massive stars, have three main divisions: → Type II-P, → Type II-L, and → Type II-n.

See also: Type II initially introduced by R. Minkowski (1941, PASP 53, 224); → type; → supernova.