If Jupiter is a Gas planet?

Question

If Jupiter, and Saturn are made up of gases (methane, hydrogen, etc,). Why didn't Jupiter catch fire, and ignite, when the Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet smashed into it? Lack of Oxygen?

Answer 1

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Because there's not enough oxygen!

Answer 2

Pretty much, the atmosphere is something like 99% hydrogen/helium.

Answer 3

Yes, lack of oxygen.  

Answer 4

Yes they are mostly gas. The planet Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen with a small proportion of helium; it may also have a rocky core of heavier elements under high pressure. They didn't ignite because there's a lack of oxygen.

Fire needs three things to burn, Heat, Fuel, and oxygen.

Answer 5

It has been theorized that if a nuclear warhead was dropped into Jupiter, and wasn't pulled apart by the huge gravity, the detonation would make Jupiter into a small star. Of course the initial eruption before things settled down would vaporize the earth, but we've had a good run. Regards, Larry.

Answer 6

probably didn't compose of just the right elements to start fusion in the first place (i've heard theories stating jupiter COULD be a brown dwarf, or failed star, and not a gas giant [planet]... tho i'm not sure how accurate that really is)

the sky is actually litered with 'dead stars' or 'failed stars' they're just extremely hard to see.... remember the stars you see are actually emitting enormous ammounts of light and it still only appears to be a 'speck' in the sky.... the only light coming off dead or failed stars, is the light they are reflecting that's coming from other stars.

Answer 7

it didn't start a fission reaction that's why it didn't burn  that the only way jupiter would start burning

Answer 8

Must be lack of oxygen.  The impact explosions would have created immensely more heat than an ordinary chemical fire.

As for the whole of Jupiter catching fire, there's a lot of it.  Also, anything that burns up in our own atmosphere encounters a lot of oxygen, but it doesn't burn up everything burnable on the planet.