Hi Peter,
thanks so much for going to the trouble of that great reply. It certainly took away much of the mystery. I see how you've confirmed that the new star is definitely new by comparing your older images with new images from a variety of trusted sources - including yourself. But how can you conclude that this 'new' star is a supernova and not some other type of star.
I imagine it's clear by now that I haven't the faintest scrap of knowledge in this area
. For example, it may be that new stars are always supernovae for some reason. I'd appreciate clarification of this last point if you have the time Peter. I'd say it may be helpful to others on the forum too.
Thanks for your patience.
Regards,