Is it possible for two gaseous planets to collide or would they fuse together?

Question

Maybe they would just phase through each other.

Answer 1

Gaseous planets need something of solidity to keep all that atmsphere together, so they would colide together but would most likely fuse together, unless the solidities are of significant differences of size and mass.

Answer 2

It is possible for anythign in space to collide.

For a great example look at shoemaker levy 9. This comet struck jupiter. had it hit earth, the devestation would have killed hundreds of thousands.

Gaseous planets still have cores, and very large gravitational effects.

If two gas planets were on a collision course, the minimum they would do is rip away the atmosphere of each other. They would effect the moons in orbit, possibly destabilizing them completely.

Since there is still a core, if the were to hit, there would be more power generated in that instant than humanity has ever produced on earth.

If they were big enough it is even possible they could start a fusion reaction, and cause the birth of a star.

Answer 3

Any gas giant is going to be mostly Hydrogen. There simply isn't enough of other gasses in any one solar system to have it any other way. Unless there are some VERY odd circumstances.

So they will not phase through each other or "cancel each other out". The gravity will cause them to "collide" as much as any large condensed ball of gas can do so (along with the liquid core).

Answer 4

I don't think they would collide as much as one would draw the other into it - if it were even possible for them to get close enough together to be able to draw one into the other.

As for whether or not they would fuse together would depend on what their gases were composed of and in what quantity. Would they be compatible, or would they cause a reaction in each other? If there was a reaction, would it change the composition of the planet or would it cause both planets to cancel each other out?

Interesting question.

Answer 5

nooooooooooooooo