Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, both in diameter and mass, and the fifth closest to the Sun. Research reveals that Jupiter’s gravity diverts space junk’s orbit towards planet Earth. What is this theory really about?
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Jupiter weighs less than a thousandth of the mass solar and yet it is 2.5 times the mass of all the other planets combined. It’s a planet gassy, just like Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These four planets are sometimes called the gas giants or the Jovians.
Some astronomers think that Jupiter, instead of protecting the Earth from comets and asteroids dangerous, would actively propel objects into the solar system. Their theory suggests that the gaseous planet, by its great mass, would act as a giant space shield, sucking up or deflecting debris, which could be dangerous.
Space debris: what is it?
Space debris is miscellaneous objects launched into Earth’s orbital space that are no longer useful. Among them are comets, celestial bodies, deactivated satellites, fragments of satellites or rockets, and even the instruments and tools lost by the astronauts at the time of space missions.
According to NASA, since 1957, with the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union, about 4,000 satellites were launched on theorbit of our planet, many of which are currently out of order. These objects travel through space at speeds of up to 36,000 km/h, and about 200 of them fall to Earth throughout the year.
The higher the altitude of space debris, the longer it will remain in orbit. For example, debris at an altitude of 600 km takes years to penetrate theearth’s atmosphere, whereas at an altitude of 1,000 km, the delay is more likely to be counted in centuries.
Is space trash a danger to Earth?
The origin of the theory
the physicist American Kevin Grazier demonstrated that Jupiter is a dangerous threat, even if it is indirect. His latest study on the subject concerns two complementary articles: one published in the Astronomical Journal in 2018, and the other in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Journal in 2019.
The first study examines the ways in which the objects of the solar system are affected by gaseous planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune). The second article analyzes a specific family of icy celestial bodies, and how they are transformed by Jupiter into life-threatening comets.
Jupiter: a double-edged influence
When the Earth was young, comets and asteroids brought essential ingredients for life, Jupiter’s “catapult” was then positive. Today, however, this influence would be rather negative, and could even trigger extinctions massive similar to that which extinguished the dinosaurs several million years ago.
In fact, the gravity of Jupiter causes it to attract comets far from Earth into the solar system. This can constitute a danger since they are approaching us, and Jupiter can no longer deviate their trajectory. On the other hand, it also allows us to protect ourselves from the asteroids closest to us, by deflecting them from the path of the Earth.
Where are the searches?
NASA plans to fly missions to study Jupiter’s Centaurs up close, using two spacecraft called Centaurus and Chimera. These missions could tell more about the origin of the solar system, and especially on how these objects pose a risk to the Earth.
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