Question

NASA's Kepler telescope had an extremely sensitive detector or sensor while viewing distant solar systems. What exactly did the Kepler telescope measure?

A) Light intensity from other stars
B) The distance of other stars
C) The gravity of other stars
D) The motion of other stars

Answer 1

The Kepler telescope's sensitive detector measured the light intensity from other stars, which allowed for the detection of exoplanets based on the transit method.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Kepler telescope had a highly sensitive detector designed specifically for measuring the light intensity from other stars. As it observed a fixed area of space, it could detect the small fluctuations in brightness caused by a planet passing in front of a star from our point of view, a phenomenon known as a transit. By accurately monitoring these changes in light intensity, Kepler could infer the presence of exoplanets orbiting distant stars, thus achieving its primary goal of identifying transiting exoplanets.