Unexpectedly for everyone, cosmologist Kevin Graser presented an unexpected model. His research showed that Jupiter, which has long earned a reputation as the 'protector of the Earth' from asteroids, despite this, poses a threat to our planet.
Computer simulations of Graser showed that the gravity of the largest planet in our solar system directs deadly asteroids at us, and does not at all hold them back, as was previously thought. New research from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers evidence that Jupiter is not a protective planet. On the contrary, it uses its gravity to attract asteroids and direct them towards the Sun, and therefore, under a certain set of circumstances, they will inevitably threaten the planet Earth.
Jupiter's previously established shield theory suggests that the planet acts like a giant space shield due to its enormous mass, causing it to suck in or deflect dangerous space debris. However, this theory is gradually losing popularity – one of the leading critics is space expert Kevin Graser. He has published several articles explaining why he considers Jupiter a 'sniper, not a shield':
“Our simulations show that Jupiter is as likely to send comets to Earth as it deflects them, and we have seen this more than once in real-world conditions in the solar system.”
Grazer has partnered with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of South Queensland to demonstrate how Jupiter can transform objects passing by him into potentially dangerous comets to Earth.
However, the scientist and his colleagues nevertheless recognized that although their models can show how Jupiter collects debris in its orbit and throws them back, the planet can simultaneously act as a shield. Here is what Jonty Horner, an astronomer at the University of South Queensland, noted about this:
'It attracts objects that threaten the Earth, and throws them away, freeing up space near our planet. So in that sense, the planet really is a shield. On the other hand, it attracts objects that did not intend to approach the Earth, changes their trajectory in the direction of our planet – that is, it is a threat. '
'To find out which side is more important, to determine if Jupiter is friend or foe, you need to take a closer look at history. So, for example, we already know that the Earth is in the cosmic crosshair. There are hundreds of near-Earth objects that are potentially dangerous. I think that now we just need to pay more attention to what happens a little further in the vicinity of Jupiter. '
The impacts of comets and asteroids are cause for concern, precisely because their impact can have devastating consequences for the Earth and could cause mass extinction. However, comets and asteroids that hit the Earth when she was young are believed to be the reason she had the necessary ingredients to create life.
However, many astronomers today believe that one of the reasons the Earth is habitable is that Jupiter's gravity helps protect us from certain comets. Long-period comets, in particular, enter the solar system from its outer regions. Jupiter's gravity is believed to push most of these fast-moving comets out of the solar system before they can get close to Earth. Therefore, comets with long periods are believed to strike the Earth only for very long periods of time – millions or tens of millions of years.
