Does Jupiter Actually Eat Smaller Planets?
But, how can a planet eat another planet? It comes down to the process of planet formation. When a new star is created, significant amounts of space dust swirl around in its general vicinity, according to NASA. Pulled in by the gravity of the growing star, this dust can sometimes collide with and adhere to other fragments, leading to the slow clumping of larger and larger rocky bodies in space. Over time, some of these fragments can get big enough to form planetesimals, and eventually, they may even form full planets.
It’s important to keep in mind that the process of planet formation can vary depending on which type of planet is being generated. The Earth, for instance, is considered a rocky planet, since the majority of the Earth is made up of rocky, solid elements, with a relatively dense atmosphere to cap it off (via Sciencing). On the other hand, there are some planets, called gas giants, which are predominantly composed of gasses. These planets, which include Jupiter among their ranks, tend to be larger than rocky planets and are also found further out in the solar system, where colder temperatures allow gas to cling to gaseous planets, according to NASA.
ncG1vNJzZmhqZGy7psPSmqmorZ6Zwamx1qippZxemLyue82erqxnlKSytHnJrqeirJWneqKv066YpaSpYrKiwIyspJqknJq%2FbrzLmqWerKNk