What would happen if?

Question

Jupiter actulaly turned into a star.
(I saw this on the film 2010, and thought it was ridiculus, but now, having given it some thought maybe not)?

Answer 1

The only probablm is that the smalles known brown dwarf is about 200 times the size of Jupiter. It'll never ignite.

Answer 2

If Jupiter turned into a star it would eventually die since it would eat away at itself, the gravitational pull from it will remain mostly constant since it has neither gained mass nor density since we’re just assuming Jupiter is a very small star ignoring the fact it is too small purely for hypothesis

The gases from Jupiter would not get sucked out by the sun because that doesn't happen now; nuclear fusion inside of Jupiter is not going to change anything in that respect.

The light and heat radiated would pale in comparison to what the sun produces it proberly won't be that visible during the day but that will mostly depend on your position.

Answer 3

IF Jupiter turns into a star:
The results depend on what kind of star Jupiter becomes. (If it would turn into a supergiant, it would gobble up the Solar System!)
If it turned into a star w/ the same size and behavior as our Sun: first, planets with a collision course with the new size of Jupiter would soon disappear. Then there would be a "gravitational battle" between Jupiter and the Sun, the one with the greater gravitational force may suck out the other's gases.
Either way, one star would soon die.
But if Jupiter/Sun was of a certain velocity, the two may actually revolve around each other, creating a binary system of stars.

Answer 4

We know Jupiter as a giant gaseous planet and as the biggest planet in our Solar System. You should also consider Jupiter as a failed to ignite star. And it failed to ignite because its mass was not big enough to start nuclear reaction in its core.

If Jupiter were to ignite, though, it may have caused a major disturbance in the Solar System's habitable zone (the region of space where conditions are favourable for the creation of life). As you know, our Earth is currently within this zone. Need I say more?

Answer 5

Jupiter is a gas giant and is composed mostly of hydrogen - like the Sun. However it is not massive enough to achieve nuclear fusion - it would need to be be at least 60 times more massive to actually become a star. So your first thought was right on!

Answer 6

I remember this also. If it did it now it would depend on basically how powerful the new sun would be as the heat from it could affect life here. But I'm sure we'd see some interesting developments with the new Jupiter mini solar system with all it's moons.

Answer 7

If it did then it would get so dense it would probably fly into the sun and explode! the shift in gravitational equilibrium would fling all the planets out into space not to mention the blast of heat that would sear through all the planets in the solar system first! Either way we'd loose! lol. Have a good day!

Answer 8

its true if Jupiter had a little more mass it would have turned into a sun ( a mini solar system in our solar system ), off course life here would have been totally different and we might have evolved on one of its moons, who knows but if it happens now it will have a small effect on earth ( weather, view in the night sky which will become a brighter but just a little bit) but it would be more beneficial than harm full, but its all speculation ( too many variables ) but I think i will be great, and it will make the solar system easier to colonize. ( space station around Io maybe :D )

Answer 9

I saw it two. if Jupiter was 10 times larger, the pressure would be so big, it would start nuclear fusion and Jupiter would become a star.

Answer 10

Jupiter cannot turn into a star. Its mass is too low for it to become a star. It cannot produce enough energy for fusion to begin.