Is it possible to blow up jupiter or saturn?

[TheScareCake!]

So, after seeing the new nassaults brilliant masterpiece "jool" (check his youtube channel), got a question. If we would send a small nuke or something explosive, could we really destroy the gas giant or create the explosion caused by some chemical reactions?

[cpast]

So, after seeing the new nassaults brilliant masterpiece "jool" (check his youtube channel), got a question. If we would send a small nuke or something explosive, could we really destroy the gas giant or create the explosion caused by some chemical reactions?

Not even close. Jupiter's atmosphere is essentially 100% hydrogen and helium, and there is no self-sustaining chemical reaction you can do with those two.

[QuesoExplosivo]

Also, the mass is not enough to sustain a fusion reaction (or else it would have already blown up and become a star).

[brdavis]

Short answer:

No. "Not even close" is not even close.

Long answer: Google "Gravitational binding energy". There are ways (in theory) to disassemble a planet, but that energy is essentially the minimum.

[YourEverydayWaffle]

So, after seeing the new nassaults brilliant masterpiece "jool" (check his youtube channel), got a question. If we would send a small nuke or something explosive, could we really destroy the gas giant or create the explosion caused by some chemical reactions?

VERY unlikely. VERY. My reasons:

1. You would probably not be able to burn up the entire planet do to different gas densities separating to different layers of the planet, and if a non-flammable gas were to settle somewhere at a certain "layer" it would create a fire-retardant wall, stopping the combustion from "eating away" other layers. Also, you would probably just change the chemical composition of the planet, as it would take RIDICULOUS amounts of force to overcome the gravity of all that gas. I guess the leftover gases from the combustion could still be called Jupiter or Saturn. It all depends on what you consider as what.

[lajoswinkler]

What chemical reactions? Jupiter and Saturn are mostly helium and hydrogen. Helium is, for all intents and purposes, inert, and hydrogen has nothing to react with.

No and no. They're big blobs of stuffed gases and can't be destroyed by any means possible.

[Skyler4856]

Sure you can blow up Jupiter, just give me a small asteroid (5K) made of antimatter, then kabloowey...

[Moar Boosters]

Take one whole, ripe jupiter.

Take one exoplanet of equal size made entirely of oxygen.

Put ingredients inside your food processor, and blend for 5 minutes. Do not allow to rest or oxygen will settle to the bottom.

Take two generous spoonfuls of sun, and stir in thoroughly.

Shield face whilst doing this.

????????

Profit.

[sojourner]

Wasn't there just a thread asking this exact same thing?

[MasterSounis]

There is a book in which this exact thing happens: 2010: Odyssey Two. Written by Arthur C. Clarke, co-writer of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, Jupiter does indeed explode. (sorry for spoilers, it's been thirty-two years). However, it explodes due to alien technology eating Jupiter in parasite fashion.We can't do that. Europa turns into a tropical paradise, and giant chunks of diamond are spread into the solar system.

[xcorps]

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/83544-What-if-you-nuked-Jupiter

[Paleophyte]

In July of 1994 fragments of comet SL-9 collided with Jupiter over a 6 day period. Each fragment delivered more energy than the world's nuclear arsenals by a couple of orders of magnitude. The largest impact was estimated at 6 Terratons TNT equivalent. They made some very impressive smudges in Jupiter's atmosphere which were studied intently for several months. No trace of them exists today.

Nothing that we could begin to attempt could heap more abuse on Jupiter than nature heaps on it every decade or so.