1994A&A...285..147B

New observations of SN 1990E in NGC 1035 are presented, mostly obtained long after maximum, during the linear decline phase. The B, V and R photometry closely resembles, up to late epochs, that of other SNII Plateau. In particular the shape of the light curves and, after correction for extinction, the absolute magnitudes are very similar to those of SN 1988A. Also for this SN the light curve appears to be powered by the ⁵⁶Co to ⁵⁶Fe radioactive decay until 500d after maximum. The spectrophotometric evolution of the strongest emission lines during the nebular phase is analysed. The fluxes of the lines of H, [OI], CaII] and CaII IR show a temporal behaviour similar to that of SN 1987A, but are always significantly fainter (2 to 3 times) than in SN 1987A, while being very similar to those of SN 1988A. On the other hand there is photometric evidence that the [FeII] emission lines (emerging in the V band) at late epochs are comparable for SN 1990E, 1988A and 1987A. Since the iron lines arise from the deepest layers of the ejecta while the lines of lighter elements originate in the outer regions, this is an indication that the inner structures of the stars exploding as SNII are similar while the envelope may have different structures.