Jupiter: Gas Giant or Failed Star

Jupiter is the Fifth Planet from our Sun and is classified as a Gas Giant due to its large size and composition. However there has been some speculation over the years about whether it is in fact a failed star. This is due to it being made up of Hydrogen and Helium like the Sun.

It is believed that Jupiter was once closer to the Sun than it is today and that it moved about before moving outward to its current location at some point.

Jupiter formed with the rest of the solar system over 4.5 million years ago taking in most of the dust left after the Sun formed. This however was not enough for it to ignite and become a second Sun. Instead it became our biggest planet, a gas giant made up of more than double the material that makes up the rest of our solar system.

The Jupiter System is made up of Jupiter and possibly more than seventy Moons some of which are larger than Pluto and even Mercury. It also has a ring system but it is less visible than that of Saturn.

• They are both made up of Hydrogen and Helium.
• They both have a large number of objects orbiting around them.
• They are similar in density.

• Jupiter is smaller than the sun
• Jupiter never became large enough to ignite.