Classification of nova light curves

The light curves were constructed from 229,796 individual measured magnitudes, with the median coverage extending to 8.0mag below peak and 26% of the light curves following the eruption all the way to quiescence. Our time-binned light curves are presented in figures and as complete tabulations.

We also calculate and tabulate many properties about the light curves, including peak magnitudes and dates, times to decline by 2, 3, 6, and 9mag from maximum, the time until the brightness returns to quiescence, the quiescent magnitude, power-law indices of the decline rates throughout the eruption, the break times in this decline, plus many more properties specific to each nova class. We present a classification system for nova light curves based on the shape and the time to decline by 3mag from the peak (t3).