Comparison of the evolution of the main observables of SN 2009E with the best-fit model computed with the relativistic radiation-hydrodynamics code (total energy 0.6 foe, initial radius 7 × 10¹² cm, envelope mass 19 M_⊙). The best-fit model computed with the semi-analytic code (total energy 1.3 foe, initial radius 6 × 10¹² cm, envelope mass 26   M_⊙) is also shown. Top, middle, and bottom panels show respectively the bolometric light curve, the photospheric velocity, and the photospheric temperature as a function of time. As a tracer for the photospheric velocity we measured the positions of the minimum of the P-Cygni profiles of the Sc II lines.