Could A Planet Be As Big As A Star?

TL;DR

Planets can be more massive than stars depending on composition.

Transcript

everybody wants the biggest stuff soft drink sizes SUVs baseball caps hot dogs and truck nuts astronomers mostly measure stars in terms of mass and use the Sun as a yardstick this star is three solar masses and that star is ten solar masses and so on but we're pandering to those of you who want the most massive stuff as opposed to the most volumetr... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤩 Gas giants like Jupiter are less massive than the smallest stars.
• 👨‍🎤 Rock planets would need to be significantly larger to ignite in fusion like a star.
• ✴️ Iron in stars can lead to supernovae and potential black hole formation.
• 🛩️ The largest rocky planet discovered is still much smaller than the smallest star.
• 🤩 Heavy elements from supernovae could collect and potentially form unique metal stars.
• 🪐 Gas planets and rocky planets have different requirements for igniting in fusion.
• 🤩 Metal stars made from planet materials are theoretically possible.

Questions & Answers

Q: Can planets be more massive than stars?

Yes, depending on their composition, gas giants like Jupiter are less massive than even small stars, while rocky planets like Earth would need to be much larger to ignite in fusion.

Q: What happens when stars develop iron in their core?

Stars shut down suddenly and can result in a supernova, but no star can burn iron and turn it into a star. Iron could potentially lead to the formation of a black hole.

Q: Could there be stars made up of planet materials?

Theoretically, heavy elements from supernovae could collect and form stars made up of planet materials like metals, creating unique metal stars in the universe.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Planets can be more massive than stars depending on their composition, with gas giants like Jupiter being much less massive than even the smallest red dwarf star.

• Rock planets like Earth would need to be significantly larger to ignite in fusion like a star due to their composition.

• Heavy elements from supernovae could collect and form stars made up of planet materials, potentially creating giant metal stars.