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From July 16 through July 22, 1994, fragments of Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter, with dramatic effect. This was the first collision of two solar system bodies ever to be observed. Shoemaker-Levy 9 consists of 20 discernable fragments with diameters estimated at up to 2 kilometers, which impacted the planet at 60 km/s. The impacts resulted in plumes many thousands of kilometers high, hot "bubbles" of gas in the atmosphere, and large dark "scars" on the atmosphere which have lifetimes at least on the order of weeks. Smaller bits and dust continue to impact the planet. Shoemaker-Levy 9 is gone, but as the Earth- and space-based images show, it did not go quietly.
Originally posted by quiksilver
even if jupiter did ignite into a star, if it burned at the rate of the sun it would only last
5497685185185.1851851851851851852 days
15062151192.288178589548452562151 years
1506215.1192288178589548452562151 milleniums
(about 15 billions years)
(my own calculation: very approximate)
thats still some time though, it is a failed star, but im not too sure if it will be able to ignite into a star as it is far off from a critical mass.(because it is quite large for how much mass it contains)
[Edited on 21-3-2004 by quiksilver]
Originally posted by JamesinOz
Some researchers have suggested that the Sun may be part of a binary system with a dead Brown Dwarf star; perhaps a fusion reaction is triggered as it moves closer to our Sun, causing it to emit light?
Originally posted by lilblam
Or it is possible that our solar system is actually a twin star system.. and one of the stars is simply a Dark Star... composed of dark matter..
Originally posted by quiksilver
yea it will brun for 15 billion years if i am correct, but that is if it stays constantly at the suns current burning rate(but the suns core is heating up so it will burn out quicker, but jupiter has a solid core?).
Jupiter is a heat source; it radiates 1.6 times a much energy as it receives from the Sun. This energy is produced by Jupiter's shrinking due to gravity, and this produces heat. Also, it is still cooling down, losing its initial energy, the energy it received as the Solar System formed.
i heard that Jupiter's magnetosphere in some parts is hotter than the suns core.(i think it was 15 million K)
Jupiter's magnetosphere is not only big but enormously powerful as well. Enough power is generated within the magnetosphere to manage 10 major cities on Earth. This power is dissipated in the atmosphere via the Jovian aurora.
Internal Heat: Jupiter is a heat source; it radiates 1.6 times a much energy as it receives from the Sun. This energy is produced by Jupiter's shrinking due to gravity, and this produces heat. Also, it is still cooling down, losing its initial energy (the energy it received as the Solar System formed).
Originally posted by quiksilver
err, probably very inaccurate