What would happen if Earth went within 100 miles of Jupiter?

Answer 1

something like this, but on a much larger scale...

http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/image332.html

and then the impacts...

http://library.thinkquest.org/C005921/Jupiter/shoemaker.htm

and all this might start long before we got so close as 100 miles... even at 1,000 miles.... and more............

Answer 2

Well, your distance quote of 100 Miles is practically nothing in relation to the size of Earth and the size of Jupiter. Gravitational forces would smash the two planets together in a horific explosion. Everything on Earth would die long before reaching Jupiter because of the disruption of the Sun's normal heating every day.

Jupiter's mass is 2.5 times that of all the other planets combined. That means that it has a gravitational force which is immense compared to Earth's.

Jupiter is ten times bigger in diameter than the Earth, also. To be exact, Jupiter's diameter is 88,846 Miles, while Earth's diameter is 7,926 Miles.

Jupiter orbits the Sun at a distance of 483.7 Million Miles.
The Earth's orbit is about 93 Million Miles. That means that the distance between the two planets varies between 394 Million Miles and 580 Million Miles on average. So what ever you think might push the Earth over towards Jupiter must be pretty powerful indeed because that is a trip of between 400 and 600 Million Miles. I would not look for that event to happen any time soon.

Answer 3

Earth would be pulled apart as it would be within the Roche limit of Jupiter. In other words, it would be so close that Jupiter's gravity would disrupt it entirely. But long before that life on the planet would be wiped out by the huge radiation belt surrounding the planet.

Answer 4

It would totally ruin my day.

The Earth would probably be torn apart before it got that close. Remember that gravitry gets stronger the closer two objects are. Any small planet that gets too close to Jupiter will feel stronger gravity on the side nearest Jupiter. It's likely the difference will be enough to pull the planet apart.

Answer 5

It would never happen, well within reason. But Jupiter would pull us towards its self and we would colide. Killing all things on earth. Even if we did not go towards Jupiter but were thrown out of our orbit by some large object all of Earth would not last long. Jupiter is 1,000 times larger than earth.

Answer 6

The earth would wind up as a big hole in Jupiter's surface.

Answer 7

It wouldn't be pretty...gravity and all that.