We begin the search for extremely low mass (M<=0.3M_{sun}_, ELM) white dwarfs (WDs) in the southern sky based on photometry from the VST ATLAS and SkyMapper surveys. We use a similar color selection method as the Hypervelocity star survey. We switched to an astrometric selection once Gaia Data Release 2 became available. We use the previously known sample of ELM white dwarfs to demonstrate that these objects occupy a unique parameter space in parallax and magnitude. We use the SOAR 4.1m telescope to test the Gaia-based selection, and identify more than two dozen low mass white dwarfs, including six new ELM white dwarf binaries with periods as short as 2h. The better efficiency of the Gaia-based selection enables us to extend the ELM Survey footprint to the southern sky. We confirm one of our candidates, J0500-0930, to be the brightest (G=12.6mag) and closest (d=72pc) ELM white dwarf binary currently known. Remarkably, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) full-frame imaging data on this system reveals low-level (<0.1%) but significant variability at the orbital period of this system (P=9.5hr), likely from the relativistic beaming effect. TESS data on another system, J0642-5605, reveals ellipsoidal variations due to a tidally distorted ELM WD. These demonstrate the power of TESS full-frame images in confirming the orbital periods of relatively bright compact object binaries.

Cone search capability for table J/ApJ/894/53/elmwds (Physical (Table 2) and orbital (Table 3) parameters of the new extremely low mass (ELM) white dwarf binaries identified in this work)

Cone search capability for table J/ApJ/894/53/targets (White dwarfs observed as part of our ATLAS+SkyMapper or Gaia parallax target selection (Tables B1-B4))