Jupiter throws comets and asteroids towards Earth like a ‘sniper’, scientist warns


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It was once thought that the gas giant Jupiter protected Earth from asteroids and other deadly space objects. But one scientist has warned that the massive planet actually acts as a ‘sniper rather than a shield’. Kevin Grazier, a physicist who used to work at Nasa, has published several papers exploring whether Jupiter’s gravity deflects comets and asteroids away from our vulnerable planet. Sadly, he’s run simulations that suggest it’s no more likely to push comets away from Earth as it is to steer them towards us.

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