Jupiter：The Almost-Star That Became Earth’s Guardian, once a contender to be the Solar System’s second Sun

Jupiter — the largest planet in our solar system and the one that almost became a star. If it had gained just 80 times more mass during its formation, nuclear fusion would have ignited, turning our solar system into a binary star system. Instead, Jupiter became a gas giant — a colossal guardian for Earth.
In this episode, we’ll uncover:
How Jupiter’s massive gravity saved Earth in 1994 by capturing Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, an impact that could’ve wiped out 75% of life.
Why Jupiter’s magnetic field is 20,000 times stronger than Earth’s.
The Great Red Spot — a storm large enough to swallow three Earths, raging for centuries.
Its 95 moons, from fiery Io to icy Europa, which hides more water beneath its surface than all Earth’s oceans combined — and may even harbour alien life.
Jupiter isn’t just the solar system’s heavyweight champion. It might be the reason life on Earth exists at all.