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Astronomy/Jupiter
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Question
Was Jupiter ever a star once?
Apparently, whomever you sent this question to was either on vacation, or rejected it, as I just noticed it in the Question Pool.
Jupiter was never a star. To become a star, an object has to generate internal temperatures of at least ten million Fahrenheit degrees, which is twenty to forty times the temperature developed by Jupiter during its formation, and requires a mass at least eighty times greater than Jupiter's.
Courtney Seligman
Professor of Astronomy
Long Beach City College
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Answers by Expert:
Courtney Seligman
Expertise
I can answer almost any question about astronomy and related sciences, such as physics and geology. I will not answer questions about astrology and similar pseudo-scientific rubbish.
Experience
I have been a professor of astronomy for over 40 years, and am working on an online text/encyclopedia of astronomy.
Publications
Astronomical Journal, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (too long ago to be really relevant, but you could search for Courtney Seligman on Google Scholar)
Education/Credentials
I received a BA in astronomy and physics and a MA in astronomy, both from UCLA. I was working on my doctoral dissertation when I started teaching, and discovered that I preferred teaching to research.
Awards and Honors
(too long ago to be relevant, but Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi still keep trying to get me to become a paying member)
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