could Jupiter turn into another sun?

Question

i just watched 2010 a space Odyssey and was woundering if that was possible at all. maybe its not but i wont know until i ask right.

but thats just the smallest one on record. im saying does it have all the right conditions to possibly create a sun.

Answer 1

Jupiter doesn't have enough mass to become a star. In '2010' the aliens apparently concentrated a huge number of their monoliths in the center of Jupiter. The increase in gravity they caused brought the density of Jupiter's existing hydrogen up to a temperature high enough to kick off nuclear fusion.

Answer 2

Why does everybody keep saying "it's too small" and "can't be done"? True, our knowledge of astroengineering at present makes those statements valid in fact, however this is speculation. Everybody keeps concentrating on the MASS of Jupiter. Jupiter does not have enough MASS for stellar fusion to be triggered naturally. However, increasing it's mass -- say by crashing the other three giant planets of the solar system into it at once -- is really not the only means that could be considered. How about increasing its density? Why hasn't anybody addressed that? If Jupiter's density was increased dramatically, then nuclear fusion could be triggered with the existing material. This is speculation, remember. Science-fiction often uses a variety of pseudo-technologies to make what we know to be impossible to appear plausible. One technology often used is artificial gravity. Projecting an intense artificial gravity field into Jupiter (say 1000 times what Jupiter generates) would compress the planet's material enough to trigger fusion. Of course we don't have that technology or the knowledge to create it. But who knows.

Answer 3

DUDE,in theory yes, but Jupiter does NOT!
have enough mass to ignite a thernoneuclear reaction. If the atmosphere
could somehow heat up to start fusing the hydrogen into helium, yes. Then our planetary system would become a binary system, because Jupiter would become a new sun. But because we(the Earth) would be between!! the Sun and Jupiter (the new sun) we may not! have NIGHT. or much! less then we have have now. And we could! have a LOT MORE problems than we do now. But it is theorised that Jupiter does! have a very small solid! core at the very center of the planet buried under Billions of tons of it's atmosphere the hydrogen would solidify into solid hydrogen metal. Somewhat like CO2 gas condenses into dry ice. When it "melts" it sublimates, it goes directly into a gas, bypassing the liquid state. There is "liquid " CO2, but to keep it liquid,it has to be under VERY! STRONG pressure, to keep it liquid. Thank You, LIVE LONG AND PROSPER! STAR TREK LIVES ON.

Answer 4

No the smallest brown dwarf star on record has a mass 200 times that of Jupiter.

Answer 5

Many astronomers consider Jupiter to be a "failed star", because it doesn't have enough mass to cause the gravitational collapse that ignites the fusion process of a star.

Remember, 2010 was a movie -- and Hollywood can do ANYTHING they want in a fictional story, as could Arthur C. Clarke in his novel.

Answer 6

It is believed that Jupiter could have become a second star had it been larger, but it would take quite a bit more mass than it has.

In 2010 the monoliths converted the elements in Jupiter into heavier elements to increase its mass.

Answer 7

jupiter will never become a star. BUT if there were some way to crush it down into a smaller size, then yes it could become a star. but alas the only way to crush something that big is with gravity and jupiter is not massive enough to create that much gravity.

Answer 8

jupiter is too small to have enough pressure in its core to cause hydrogen to bond together and form helium.

so no, jupiter is far too small to become a star. the smallest stars are much much bigger than jupiter. i am not sure what the exact mass is that is necessary to begin nuclear fusion but its much more than jupiter has.

Answer 9

Jupiter would have to be 13 times as massive before it could create enough pressure to fuse hydrogen.