We present results of a variability search in the intermediate-age open cluster NGC 6866 from 29 nights over two observing seasons. We find 28 periodic variables, of which 19 are newly identified. The periods of these variables, which have V magnitudes from 11.5 to 19.3mag, range from ~48min to 37d. We detected several {delta} Scuti stars, some of which are of high amplitude, as well as {gamma} Doradus and rotational variables, and eclipsing binaries. In order to study the physical properties of the cluster, we obtained UBVRI photometry of all the stars on a good photometric night. The radial distribution of the stellar surface density shows that the cluster has a radial extent of about 7-arcmin ( ~3pc) with a peak density of 5.7+/-0.7stars/arcmin^2^ at the cluster centre. The colour-colour diagram indicates a reddening of E(B-V)=0.10mag towards NGC 6866. A distance of ~1.47kpc and an age of ~630Myr are estimated from the colour-magnitude diagram using the theoretical isochrones of solar metallicity.

Cone search capability for table J/MNRAS/419/2379/table1 (UBVRI photometric catalogue of 2473 stars detected in the field of cluster NGC 6866)