Can a Planet Turn into a Star through Gas Accumulation?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JV
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Planet Star
Click For Summary
A planet could theoretically become a star by accumulating enough gas, specifically hydrogen, to reach the conditions necessary for nuclear fusion. The minimum mass required for spontaneous fusion is approximately 10^28 kg, which is around 20 times the mass of Jupiter. If a planet collects sufficient hydrogen and achieves the necessary temperature and pressure, fusion could ignite in its core. This process hinges on both mass and composition, as a hydrogen-rich environment is essential. Ultimately, while the concept is intriguing, the practicalities of such a transformation are complex and unlikely.
JV
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Would it be possible for a planet by collecting gas to become a star. I mean if it were to collect enough hydrogen, the temperature and the pressure at the surface of the planet could get high enough to start fusion ?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
The minimum mass required for spontaneous fusion is about 10^28 Kg [around 20x the mass of Jupiter]. Assuming the composition is amenable to fusion [lots of hydrogen], the core would ignite once the former planet accumulated the necessary mass.
 
Hi, I saw someone with an avatar on a different forum that turns out to be the sombrero galaxy. AI says, too distant to know much about, aside from billions of starts, potentially tons of planets, and a supermassive black hole in the center. I find that setup fascinating, despite knowing close to nothing about the universe. So I ask: could anyone point me in the direction of, or provide information about this galaxy? I do not trust AI beyond general information, and I like to go pretty...

Similar threads

  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
4K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
545