If Jupiter was mostly rock?

Question

Or solid rock What effect would that have on earth?

Answer 1

the effect would be totally insignificant,as jupiter is mostly rock.

Answer 2

A rocky planet of Jupiter's size would be several times as massive and thus Jupiter would have a much greater influence upon our planet's orbit. Jupiter as it is does exert a strong gravitational pull on the other planets, but a rocky planet of the same size would likely have left us with a much more elliptical orbit, and it would have sent many more asteroids and comets sun ward to hit the inner planets. The rest would be much more depleted than they are now, because Jupiter's greater gravity would fling more of them into interstellar space. The planet would not become a star, it needs to be almost entirely made of hydrogen and helium and have at least 80 times it's present mass to become a self-luminous star instead of a brown dwarf.

Answer 3

It would probably reduce the chances of any asteroids or comets hitting earth, as Jupiter would therefore 'clean' the solar system of most of the ones which would come near us, due to it's increased gravitational field.

I don't know exactly how it would effect our path around the solar system, but I'm assuming it would have some sort of minor effect.

Answer 4

That depends how much material would be available. With slightly more mass, Jupiter would be a star, although it would have so comparatively little mass to our sun it could already have burnt out by now.

Assuming we swap the gasses for rock, the gravitational pull would be immense. Jupiter already shields us with it's gravity from a great deal of comet and asteroids.