Jupiter has been shaping the future of Earth since before our planet even came into existence.
Highlights
Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, contributed to the formation of the Earth.
Jupiter created gaps in the early solar system that allowed other planets to survive.
Jupiter's gravity stabilizes the orbits of the inner planets
Our solar system is said to be more than 4 billion years old. Its planets are equally old, and they vary in size. It is said that the planets formed after the Big Bang. However, a new study reveals an interesting story about Earth's origins. Jupiter played a significant role in shaping Earth's formation. If Jupiter hadn't existed, Earth would have been swallowed by the Sun long ago! Let's find out what the new study reveals.
Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, has played a very important role in the formation of the Earth . According to Space.com, a new study has found that Jupiter was shaping the future of the Earth even before our planet came into existence. Jupiter created such gaps in the early solar system due to which the building blocks of the Earth were saved from colliding with the Sun. If this had not happened, these blocks would have been absorbed by the Sun long ago. This has been revealed in a study done by scientists of Rice University in Houston.
The study suggests that Jupiter's early evolution blocked the flow of gas and dust from the inner solar system, preventing it from reaching the Sun, and this material later formed Earth, Venus, and Mars. Thus, Jupiter's gravity not only stabilized the orbits of the inner planets but also shaped the structure of our solar system. The planet formed rings that influenced when and how other rocky bodies in the solar system formed.
"Jupiter not only became the largest planet, but it also determined the structure of the entire inner solar system," Andre Izidoro, assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice University and co-leader of the study, said in a statement. "Without it, our Earth might not be as we know it today."
