N ov 2 00 2 Optical and Infrared Photometry of the Nearby Type Ia Supernova 2001 el

We present well sampled optical (UBV RI) and infrared (JHK) light curves of the nearby (≈18.0 Mpc) Type Ia supernova SN 2001el, from 11 days before to 142 days after the time of B-band maximum. The data represent one of the best sets of optical and infrared photometry ever obtained for a Type Ia supernova. Based on synthetic photometry using optical spectra of SN 2001el and optical and infrared spectra of SN 1999ee, we were able to devise filter corrections for the BV JHK photometry of SN 2001el which to some extent resolve systematic differences between SN 2001el datasets obtained with different telescope/filter/instrument combinations. We also calculated V minus infrared color The National Optical Astronomy Observatories are operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. Visiting Astronomer, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatories.