Astronomy and Astrophysics
Aims: Our aim is to provide a complete description of ready-to-use BRITE data, to show the scientific potential of the BRITE-Constellation data by identifying the most interesting targets, and to demonstrate how scientists can use these data in their research, and encourage them to do so.
Methods: We applied a decorrelation process to the automatically reduced BRITE-Constellation data to correct for instrumental effects. We performed a statistical analysis of the light curves obtained for the 300 stars observed in the first 14 fields during the first ~2.5 yr of the mission. We also performed cross-identification with the International Variable Star Index.
Results: We present the data obtained by the BRITE-Constellation mission in the first 14 fields it observed, from November 2013 to April 2016. We also describe the properties of the data for these fields and the 300 stars observed in them. Using these data, we detect variability in 64% of the presented sample of stars. Sixty-four stars, or 21.3% of the sample, have not yet been identified as variable in the literature and their data have not been analysed in detail. They can therefore provide valuable scientific material for further research. All data are made publicly available through the BRITE Public Data Archive and the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre.