Theoredicly speaking... if Jupiter was a stable sun, how would it affect earth and the other planets? Thanx!?

Answer 1

Theoretically speaking, a lot would depend on when Jupiter became a sun. If it ignited around the same time as the planets were first forming. And to become a sun, it would have to be up to between 12 and 75 times more massive than it is today, so not a lot of material would have been left in the solar system to form other planets.

Earth would not have any night, and since we would have evolved in that environment we would be fine - we might not look like we do, the various species over time may not have evolved as they did. The earth would be warmer than today (how much would depend on Jupiter's output - it could be a red dwarf sun and so would not generate a lot of additional heat for the earth)
If Mars even formed, it would be a world like Mercury - hot, no atmosphere.
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune would not have become gas giants - they are gas giants today because they are in the cold regions of the system and the gases they collected were moving slowly enough to be captured by their gravity. If Jupiter were a star, then most of the gas in the outer system would have ended up in Jupiter or evaporated away by Jupiter's heat. Plus due to gravitational instability, they may have interfered with each other's orbits or may not have formed planets at all - the material may have ended up in a number of smaller worlds or even asteroid belts. None of them would likely have any satellites.
The asteroid belt probably wouldn't be there, the material would have either been collected by Jupiter or dissipated by the heat and solar wind from Jupiter.
Pluto and the Kuiper Belt may not exist, or may only contain small rocky objects since most of the volatiles would have either been captured by Jupiter's gravity or dissipated by the heat and solar wind.
Mercury and Venus probably wouldn't be affected much.
Our system would be a binary, so the sun and Jupiter would orbit a common centre of gravity and that would cause us to see the fixed stars all wobbling in the sky.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Answer 2

I thought of this also. Jupiter orbits the sun every 12 earth years and is 5 times the distance away from the sun than we are. So every couple of years a Jupiter sun would give us bright nights for several years. It's durring this period that most of the warming would occur. There would be large scale drought and no natural ice. On off seasons, it would give us two suns durring the day. I couldn't imagine surviving in an envirnoment like that.

Answer 3

In order for Jupiter to be a stable star it would have to be many times more massive than it currently is. If this had happened the solar system would be completely different then what exists today. In fact, the earth probably would not have life on it...or possibly not even exist.

Answer 4

Jupiter is way too small to be a star. Jupiter is only 10% of the mass required to start fusion, the life energy force of a star. Look at a picture of Jupiter in relation to the Sun, and also a red dwarf star.

Answer 5

"The Third Stone from the Sun" by Jimi Hendrix and "Eclipse" by Pink Floyd are some good ones, though they're not exactly focused on that. The Third Stone from the Sun - Jimi Hendrix (Are you Experienced?) "Starfleet to scoutship, please give your position, Over. I'm in orbit around the third planet from the star called the sun. Over. You mean its the earth? Over. Positive. It is known to have some form of intelligent species. Over. I think we should take a look. Strange beautiful grass of green, With your majestic silver seas Your mysterious mountains I wish to see closer May I land my kinky machine Strange beautiful grass of green, With your majestic silver seas Your mysterious mountains I wish to see closer May I land my kinky machine Although your world wonders me, With your majestic and superior cackling hen Your people I do not understand, So to you I shall put an end And you'll Never hear Surf music again Secret Oh, secret Oh Shhhh... " Eclipse - Pink Floyd (The Dark Side of the Moon) "All that you touch All that you see All that you taste All you feel. All that you love All that you hate All you distrust All you save. All that you give All that you deal All that you buy Beg borrow or steal. All you create All you destroy All that you do All that you say. All that you eat And everyone you meet All that you slight And everyone you fight. All that is now All that is gone All that's to come And everything under the sun is in tune But the sun is eclipsed by the moon. "

Answer 6

We would all be dead, depending on what your definition of "stable" sun is. otherwise, we would have constant and random sunlight, and the other planets may have changes depending on thier current substances on that planet, since there would then be 2 sources of heat and energy.
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Also Jim M, this doesnt have to be "real"

Answer 7

We would very rarely have darkness.