We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2021aaev, a hydrogen-rich, superluminous supernova with persistent (at least ∼100 days) narrow Balmer lines (SLSN-IIn) at redshift z = 0.1557. SN 2021aaev rose over 28.1  ±  1.0 rest-frame days after explosion, reaching a peak absolute magnitude of −21.46 ± 0.01 in the ATLAS o band. The prepeak spectra resemble those of typical Type IIn SNe with flash-ionization features arising from the interaction with a dense, confined circumstellar medium (CSM), albeit the flash timescale is longer than usual (>20 days). Postpeak, the narrow emission lines evolve slowly, and the absence of ejecta features indicates strong deceleration by the CSM. The total radiated energy (about 1.41 × 10⁵¹ erg) is possibly explained by a low-mass (1–2 M_⊙) ejecta ploughing into a massive (9–19 M_⊙), extended (outer radius >1 × 10¹⁶ cm) H-rich CSM, or alternatively by magnetar-powered models. Interestingly, the host environment consists of a spiral galaxy with a red substructure in the southeastern part, and the SN’s exact location coincides with this quiescent red region (star formation rate yr⁻¹). Given the atypical environment and the obscuring effect of the massive CSM, a thermonuclear (Type Ia-CSM) origin cannot be ruled out. Altogether, SN 2021aaev is a compelling case to study the diversity of SLSN-IIn features and their host environments.

We present observations of SN 2023xgo, a transitional Type Ibn/Icn SN, from −5.6 to 63 d relative to r-band peak. Early spectra show C iii  λ5696 emission like Type Icn SNe, shifting to Type Ibn features. The He i velocities (1800–10 000 km s⁠⁻¹) and pseudo-equivalent widths are among the highest in the Ibn/Icn class. The light curve declines at 0.14 mag d⁻¹ until 30 d, matching SNe Ibn/Icn but slower than fast transients. SN 2023xgo is the faintest in our SN Ibn sample (M_r = −17.65 ± 0.04⁠⁠) but shows typical colour and host properties. Semi-analytical modelling of the light curve suggests a compact CSM shell (∼ 10¹²–10¹³ cm), mass-loss rate between 10⁻⁴ and 10⁻³ M_☉ yr⁻¹ with CSM and ejecta masses of ∼0.22 and 0.12 M_⁠☉, respectively. Post-maximum light-curve, spectral modelling favours a ∼3 M_☉ helium star progenitor with extended (⁠∼ 10¹⁵ cm), stratified CSM (density exponent of 2.9) and mass-loss rate of 0.1 − 2.7 M_☉ yr⁠⁻¹. These two mass-loss regimes imply a radially varying CSM, shaped by asymmetry or changes in the progenitor’s mass-loss over time. This mass-loss behaviour fits both binary and single-star evolution. Early Icn-like features stem from hot carbon ionization, fading to Ibn-like with cooling. SN 2023xgo thus offers rare insight into the connection between SNe Icn, Ibn, and SNe Ibn with ejecta signatures.

We present a detailed photometric and spectroscopic analysis of the Type IIP supernova (SN) SN 2023zcu, which exploded in the galaxy NGC 2139 (redshift z = 0.006). SN 2023zcu exhibits a well-sampled light curve covering the rise, plateau, and nebular phases. It has an optically thick phase of 100.6  ±  0.6 days with a magnitude drop of ∼1.7 mag in the V band during the transition between the plateau and nebular phases. Weak emission features in the early-time spectra indicate a low-level interaction between circumstellar material and the SN ejecta. The spectral evolution is well sampled and exhibits a prominent P Cygni profile of Hα, a defining characteristic of Type IIP SNe. Signatures of metal-line formation (e.g., Fe ii, Ca ii near-infrared triplet) are also evident in the spectra as the SN evolves. Spectral modeling with the radiative transfer code TARDIS during the early photospheric phase (8.7–35.5 days since explosion) yields photospheric temperatures decreasing from ∼9000 to ∼6000 K and expansion velocities declining from ∼10,000 to ∼5400 km s⁻¹. A tailored expanding photosphere method fit based on the TARDIS models provides a distance estimate of 27.8  ±  2.0 Mpc. Nebular-phase spectra and bolometric light-curve modeling suggest a progenitor mass in the range 12–15 M_⊙. This thorough analysis helps to constrain progenitor properties and explosion parameters, thereby strengthening our understanding of Type IIP SNe.

While it is generally accepted that Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are the terminal explosions of white dwarfs (WDs), the nature of their progenitor systems and the mechanisms that lead up to these explosions remain widely debated. In rare cases, the SN ejecta interact with circumstellar material (CSM) that had previously been ejected from the progenitor system. The longer the delay between the creation of the CSM and the SN explosion, the greater the distance between the SN explosion site and the CSM and the later the onset of the interaction. The unknown distance between the CSM and SN explosion site makes it impossible to predict when the interaction will start. If the time between the SN explosion and the onset of the CSM interaction is of the order of several months to years, the SN has generally faded and it is no longer actively followed up on. This makes it even more difficult to detect the interaction while it is happening. In this work, we report on a real-time monitoring programme running between 13 November 2023 and 9 July 2024. It monitored 6914 SNe Ia for signs of late-time rebrightening using the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). Flagged candidates were rapidly followed up on with photometry and spectroscopy to confirm the late-time excess and its position. We report the discovery of a ∼50 day rebrightening event in SN 2020qxz around 1200 rest-frame days after the peak of its light curve. SN 2020qxz exhibited signs of an early CSM interaction, but had faded from view over two years before its reappearance. Initial follow-up spectroscopy revealed the presence of four emission lines, while later follow-up spectroscopy showed that these had faded shortly after the end of the ZTF-detected rebrightening event. Our best match for these emission lines are Hβ (blueshifted by ∼5900 km s−1) and Ca II λ8542, N I λ8567, and K I λλ8763, 8767 (all blueshifted by 5100 km s−1; although we note that the line identifications are uncertain). This shows that catching and following up on late-time interactions as they occur can offer new clues on the nature of the progenitor systems that produce these SNe by putting constraints on the possible type of donor star. The only way to do this systematically is to use large sky surveys such as ZTF and the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) to monitor a large sample of objects for the rare events that reappear long after the object has faded from view.

Aims. We investigate the photometric characteristics of a sample of intermediate-luminosity red transients (ILRTs), a class of elusive objects with peak luminosity between that of classical novae and standard supernovae. Our goal is to provide a stepping stone in the path to reveal the physical origin of such events, thanks to the analysis of the datasets collected. Methods. We present the multi-wavelength photometric follow-up of four ILRTs, namely NGC 300 2008OT-1, AT 2019abn, AT 2019ahd, and AT 2019udc. Through the analysis and modelling of their spectral energy distribution and bolometric light curves, we inferred the physical parameters associated with these transients. Results. All four objects display a single-peaked light curve which ends in a linear decline in magnitudes at late phases. A flux excess with respect to a single blackbody emission is detected in the infrared domain for three objects in our sample, a few months after maximum. This feature, commonly found in ILRTs, is interpreted as a sign of dust formation. Mid-infrared monitoring of NGC 300 2008OT-1 761 days after maximum allowed us to infer the presence of ∼10-3-10-5 M⊙ of dust, depending on the chemical composition and the grain size adopted. The late-time decline of the bolometric light curves of the considered ILRTs is shallower than expected for 56Ni decay, hence requiring an additional powering mechanism. James Webb Space Telescope observations of AT 2019abn prove that the object has faded below its progenitor luminosity in the mid-infrared domain, five years after its peak. Together with the disappearance of NGC 300 2008OT-1 in Spitzer images seven years after its discovery, this supports the terminal explosion scenario for ILRTs. With a simple semi-analytical model we tried to reproduce the observed bolometric light curves in the context of a few solar masses ejected at few 103 km s-1 and enshrouded in an optically thick circumstellar medium.

Aims. We investigate the spectroscopic characteristics of intermediate-luminosity Red Transients (ILRTs), a class of elusive objects with peak luminosity between that of classical novae and standard supernovae. Our goal is to provide a stepping stone in the path to unveiling the physical origin of these events based on the analysis of the collected datasets. Methods. We present the extensive optical and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic monitoring of four ILRTs, namely NGC 300 2008OT-1, AT 2019abn, AT 2019ahd and AT 2019udc. First we focus on the evolution of the most prominent spectral features observed in the low-resolution spectra. We then present a more detailed description of the high-resolution spectrum collected for NGC 300 2008OT-1 with the Very Large Telescope equipped with UVES. Finally, we describe our analysis of late-time spectra of NGC 300 2008OT-1 and AT 2019ahd through comparisons with both synthetic and observed spectra. Results. Balmer and Ca lines dominate the optical spectra, revealing the presence of slowly moving circumstellar medium (CSM) around the objects. The line luminosity of Hα, Hβ, and Ca II NIR triplet presents a double peaked evolution with time, possibly indicative of interaction between fast ejecta and the slow CSM. The high-resolution spectrum of NGC 300 2008OT-1 reveals a complex circumstellar environment, with the transient being surrounded by a slow (∼30 km s-1) progenitor wind. At late epochs, optical spectra of NGC 300 2008OT-1 and AT 2019ahd show broad (∼2500 km s-1) emission features at ∼6170 Å and ∼7000 Å which are unprecedented for ILRTs. We find that these lines originate most likely from the blending of several narrow lines, possibly of iron-peak elements.

We present optical, radio, and X-ray observations of EP250108a/SN 2025kg, a broad-line Type Ic supernova (SN Ic-BL) accompanying an Einstein Probe (EP) fast X-ray transient at z = 0.176. EP250108a/SN 2025kg possesses a double-peaked optical light curve, and its spectrum transitions from a blue underlying continuum to a typical SN Ic-BL spectrum over time. We fit a radioactive decay model to the second peak of the optical light curve and find SN parameters that are consistent with the SN Ic-BL population, while its X-ray and radio properties are consistent with those of low-luminosity GRB (LLGRB) 060218/SN 2006aj. We explore three scenarios to understand the system’s multiwavelength emission: (a) SN ejecta interacting with an extended circumstellar medium (CSM), (b) the shocked cocoon of a collapsar-driven jet choked in its stellar envelope, and (c) the shocked cocoon of a collapsar-driven jet choked in an extended CSM. Models (b) and (c) can explain the optical light curve and are also consistent with the radio and X-ray observations. We favor model (c) because it can self-consistently explain both the X-ray prompt emission and first optical peak, but we do not rule out model (b). From the properties of the first peak in model (c), we find evidence that EP250108a/SN 2025kg interacts with an extended CSM and infer an envelope mass M_e ∼ 0.1 M_⊙ and radius R_e ∼ 4 × 10¹³ cm. EP250108a/SN 2025kg’s multiwavelength properties make it a close analog to LLGRB 060218/SN 2006aj and highlight the power of early follow-up observations in mapping the environments of massive stars prior to core collapse.

We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2020xga and SN 2022xgc, two hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe-I) at z=-0.4296 and z = 0.3103, respectively, which show an additional set of broad Mg II absorption lines, blueshifted by a few thousands kilometer second-1 with respect to the host galaxy absorption system. Previous work interpreted this as due to resonance line scattering of the SLSN continuum by rapidly expanding circumstellar material (CSM) expelled shortly before the explosion. The peak rest-frame g-band magnitude of SN 2020xga is -22.30 ± 0.04 mag and of SN 2022xgc is -21.97 ± 0.05 mag, placing them among the brightest SLSNe-I. We used high-quality spectra from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths to model the Mg II line profiles and infer the properties of the CSM shells. We find that the CSM shell of SN 2020xga resides at ∼1.3×1016 cm, moving with a maximum velocity of 4275 km s-1, and the shell of SN 2022xgc is located at ∼0.8×1016 cm, reaching up to 4400 km s-1. These shells were expelled ∼11 and ∼5 months before the explosions of SN 2020xga and SN 2022xgc, respectively, possibly as a result of luminous-blue-variable-like eruptions or pulsational pair instability (PPI) mass loss. We also analyzed optical photometric data and modeled the light curves, considering powering from the magnetar spin-down mechanism. The results support very energetic magnetars, approaching the mass-shedding limit, powering these SNe with ejecta masses of ∼7-9M⊙. The ejecta masses inferred from the magnetar modeling are not consistent with the PPI scenario pointing toward stars > 50M⊙ He-core; hence, alternative scenarios such as fallback accretion and CSM interaction are discussed. Modeling the spectral energy distribution of the host galaxy of SN 2020xga reveals a host mass of 107.8 M⊙, a star formation rate of 0.96-0.26+0.47 M⊙ yr-1, and a metallicity of ∼0.2 Z⊙

Stars are initially powered by the fusion of hydrogen to helium. These ashes serve as fuel in a series of stages1, 2–3, transforming massive stars into a structure of shells. These are composed of natal hydrogen on the outside and consecutively heavier compositions inside, predicted to be dominated by He, C/O, O/Ne/Mg and O/Si/S (refs. 4,5). Silicon and sulfur are fused into iron, leading to the collapse of the core and either a supernova explosion or the formation of a black hole6, 7, 8–9. Stripped stars, in which the outer hydrogen layer has been removed and the internal He-rich or even the C/O layer below it is exposed10, provide evidence for this shell structure and the cosmic element production mechanism it reflects. The supernova types that arise from stripped stars embedded in shells of circumstellar material (CSM) confirm this scenario11, 12, 13, 14–15. However, direct evidence for the most interior shells, which are responsible for producing elements heavier than oxygen, is lacking. Here we report the discovery of the supernova (SN) 2021yfj resulting from a star stripped to its O/Si/S-rich layer. We directly observe a thick, massive Si/S-rich shell, expelled by the progenitor shortly before the supernova explosion. Exposing such an inner stellar layer is theoretically challenging and probably requires a rarely observed mass-loss mechanism. This rare supernova event reveals advanced stages of stellar evolution, forming heavier elements, including silicon, sulfur and argon, than those detected on the surface of any known class of massive stars.

We present the luminosity function and volumetric rate of a sample of Type IIP supernovae (SNe) from the Zwicky Transient Facility Census of the Local Universe survey (CLU). This is the largest sample of Type IIP SNe from a systematic volume-limited survey to-date. The final sample includes 330 Type IIP SNe and 36 low-luminosity Type II (LLIIP) SNe with M_r,peak > −16 mag, which triples the literature sample of LLIIP SNe. The fraction of LLIIP SNe is 19−4+3% of the total CLU Type IIP SNe population (8−2+1% of all core-collapse SNe). This implies that while LLIIP SNe likely represent the fate of core-collapse SNe of 8–12 M_⊙ progenitors, they alone cannot account for the fate of all massive stars in this mass range. To derive an absolute rate, we estimate the ZTF pipeline efficiency as a function of the apparent magnitude and the local surface brightness. We derive a volumetric rate of (3.9−0.4+0.4)×104Gpc−3yr−1 for Type IIP SNe and (7.3−0.6+0.6)×103Gpc−3yr−1 for LLIIP SNe. Now that the rate of LLIIP SNe is robustly derived, the unresolved discrepancy between core-collapse SN rates and star formation rates cannot be explained by LLIIP SNe alone.