A Variable Star Census in a Perseus Field

TL;DR

This study conducted a comprehensive survey of variable stars in a Perseus field using the Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope, identifying 125 new variables and modeling five bright stars' light curves.

Contribution

It presents the first extensive variable star census in a Perseus field, discovering numerous new variables and providing detailed light curve models for select stars.

Findings

125 new variable stars identified

Light curve models for five bright variables

Survey covered 32,129 stars over 52 nights

Abstract

The Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope is a small-aperture, wide-field telescope dedicated to time-series photometric observations. During an initial commissioning phase at the Thueringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Germany, and subsequent operations at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, France, a 3.1 {\deg} x 3.1 {\deg} circumpolar field close to the galactic plane centered at ({\alpha}, {\delta}) = (02h 39m 23s, +52{\deg} 01' 46") (J 2000.0) was observed between 2001 August and 2006 December during 52 nights. From the 32129 stars observed, a subsample of 145 stars with clear stellar variability was detected out of which 125 are newly identified variable objects. For five bright objects, the system parameters were derived by modeling the light curve.