The Influence of Binaries on Stellar Population Studies

Abstract

We review the basic properties of the different supernova types identi- fied in the current taxonomy, with emphasis on the more recent devel- opments. To help orienting in the variegate zoo, the optical photometric and spectroscopic properties of the different supernova types are pre- sented in a number of summary figures. We also report the latest estimates of the supernova rates and stress the need for a dedicated effort to measure SN rates at high redshift.