Effect on Earth from Removal of a Planet from Solar System?

[ECM]

<p>Yes, this is a very strange question, but my curiosity has gotten the better of me:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>What&nbsp;exactly&nbsp;would&nbsp;happen&nbsp;if,&nbsp;for&nbsp;instance,&nbsp;Jupiter&nbsp;(or&nbsp;any&nbsp;planet,&nbsp;really)&nbsp;suddenly&nbsp;vanished&nbsp;from&nbsp;our&nbsp;solar&nbsp;system?&nbsp;Would&nbsp;there&nbsp;be&nbsp;any&nbsp;perceptible&nbsp;impact&nbsp;on&nbsp;us?&nbsp;Would&nbsp;we&nbsp;even&nbsp;notice&nbsp;any&nbsp;change&nbsp;(outside&nbsp;of&nbsp;its&nbsp;obvious&nbsp;absence&nbsp;via&nbsp;telesecopes,&nbsp;etc.).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Thanks&nbsp;for&nbsp;humoring&nbsp;me&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

 

[zarnic]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Yes, this is a very strange question, but my curiosity has gotten the better of me:&nbsp;What&nbsp;exactly&nbsp;would&nbsp;happen&nbsp;if,&nbsp;for&nbsp;instance,&nbsp;Jupiter&nbsp;(or&nbsp;any&nbsp;planet,&nbsp;really)&nbsp;suddenly&nbsp;vanished&nbsp;from&nbsp;our&nbsp;solar&nbsp;system?&nbsp;Would&nbsp;there&nbsp;be&nbsp;any&nbsp;perceptible&nbsp;impact&nbsp;on&nbsp;us?&nbsp;Would&nbsp;we&nbsp;even&nbsp;notice&nbsp;any&nbsp;change&nbsp;(outside&nbsp;of&nbsp;its&nbsp;obvious&nbsp;absence&nbsp;via&nbsp;telesecopes,&nbsp;etc.).&nbsp;Thanks&nbsp;for&nbsp;humoring&nbsp;me&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Posted by ECM</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Gee, vanish?&nbsp; That didn't happen to Pluto but when it stopped being a planet &nbsp;the impact here was G-E-E .. eh, huge.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles.</em> A. Van Buren, 1978<br />* <em>An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.</em>  -- according to Van Roy</p> </div>

 

[bearack]

<p><br /><br />There are ample experts here but to my recollection, I don't think there would be any foreseeable impact other than our defence of meteor impacts.&nbsp; Jupiters gravity is one of the primary reason (from what I have read) that the Earth does not fall into meteor trajectory.</p><p>Edit to hopfully fix post length.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><br /><img id="06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/14/06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" /></p> </div>

 

[Saiph]

Not much direct impact.&nbsp; Bearacks right that if a major planet disappeared we'd have a larger problem with impacts, as that planet wouldn't have a chance to redirect and absorb wandering objects.&nbsp; On top of that the "trojan" asteriods thare in resonance orbits with the planet (typically 30 degrees before and behind it in orbit) would now be free to spread and wander...don't know what those would do, but they now pose a possible threat. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>