Kepler Stares at Neptune

Since 2014, the Kepler telescope has observed superior planets like Neptune, capturing images of its moons Triton and Nereid. The apparent retrograde motion of Neptune is due to Kepler's faster orbit. Originally designed to find exoplanets using the transit method, Kepler measures dips in starlight to detect planets. During Neptune observations, it focused on changes in reflected sunlight, revealing Neptune's dynamics and laying groundwork for future exoplanet studies.

Describe the apparent retrograde motion of Neptune as observed by the Kepler Telescope.

What was the primary purpose of the Kepler Telescope when it was originally designed?

How did Kepler's observations of Neptune differ from its usual method of searching for exoplanets?

What factors contributed to the fluctuations in Neptune's brightness measured by Kepler?

What clues did Kepler gather about Neptune's hidden dynamics through its observations?