Jupiter Enters Nuclear Fusion Sept 21/2003 ???

Suppose all of this does happen. Isn't Jupiter too far away to damage Earth on a massive scale?

Unfortunately Jupiter IS close enough to give us great grief if the events described were to occur. However, I put my bet on not much happening. The implosion necessary to create a fission bomb has to be carefully managed, that is why it is so difficult to make a successful nuclear bomb. To suggest that just dropping this stuff into the atmosphere is going to explode it is rolling the dice quite a bit I think. When one considers the vast difference in size between the probe and Jupiter I am strained to think that this could possibly happen. Given Jupiter's radiation of excess energy there is much more powerful reactions going off in the core on a continual basis than the pitiful hiccup we are going to create by dropping a probe in. Far more likely that Jupiter would ignite itself than us.

Jeremy,

I fully agree with your assessment. I only want to correct one signifigant differance between the in-house energy surce and the inbrobable RTG explosion. A nuclear explosion woud have the 100,000,000F temperature required; whereas the other process fall far short to that.

However, even should the RTG explode I persoally find it difficult to imagine that the D-T content and Lawson Criteria could be met to sustain a Jovian chain reaction.


Knowing to believe only half of
what you hear is a sign of
intelligence. Knowing which
half to believe will make you a
genius.

Knowing to believe only half of what you hear is a sign of intelligence. Knowing which half to believe can make you a genius.

You are both right and wrong.

The bottomline is that we have absolutely no clue.

QUESTION: Do we actually understand what helium IS?


Helium is some very strange stuff.

And anyone who is not knawing on that fact deeply enough... is not a cosmologist of worthwhile weight.

I don't believe anyone is giving NASA much credit - They more than realize the risk !!! You are right, no one can accurately predict the outcome if Jupiter ignites - although - No one has discussed the true intent for this potiential risk - Jupiter's moons are in fact would be a more, likely target for this possible Nuclear Fusion.... Man does love to play God - And what better way than with satillites like Io? After all, it's all just THeories and conjecture....

Well the Galileo probe crashed into Jupiter yesterday and we're all still here. Anybody see any new stars in the sky yet?