The Fleming Survey : high-cadence survey for variable stars in the northern galactic plane

Abstract

We present first results from the Fleming Survey, a high-cadence search for variable stars in the northern Galactic Plane, conducted with the James Gregory Telescope in St Andrews (UK). After observing twelve fields, each over a timespan of 3–5 hr and with a cadence of 1 min, we identify 8 variable stars with clear periodic flux modulation in our lightcurves. Two of these are deemed to be δ Scuti pulsators, five are most likely eclipsing binaries. For most of our discoveries, the variability is known in the literature, but the exact period and shape of the lightcurve is not. This mini-survey demonstrates that high-cadence observations with small telescopes are a useful complement to ongoing and planned massive variability surveys.