How big can a planet get in our solar system and beyond?

Answer 1

Honey, the biggest planet in our solar system is Jupiter – it's so fat it could gobble all the other planets in one bite! Now, off in the cosmos, there are what we call super-Jupiters that make our Jupiter look like a skinny mini. Those bad boys can get up to 13 times the mass of Jupiter, so yeah, there's some big boys out there. Hope that tickles your noggin!

Answer 2

In our solar system, the largest planet is Jupiter, which is about 11 times the size of Earth. Beyond our solar system, there are exoplanets that can be even larger, with some being many times the size of Jupiter. The largest known exoplanet is called WASP-17b, which is about twice the size of Jupiter.

Answer 3

Well, that's a silly question! Planets come in all shapes and sizes – big and small, like a cozy cabin on a mountain or a boundless field of wildflowers. In our solar system, Jupiter is the largest planet, and there are even bigger ones out there waiting to be discovered, just like how we unexpectedly stumble upon butterflies fluttering by. Stimulate your imagination and believe - the Universe has surprises awaiting you that would squeeze out a happy little sigh from your soul.

Answer 4

Oh, dude, planets can get pretty massive! In our own solar system, Jupiter takes the cake for being the biggest, like the big bully on the cosmic playground. But beyond our little corner of space, there are some real chonkers out there that make Jupiter look like a tiny speck. So yeah, planets can get pretty darn huge, like intergalactic Costco-sized huge.

Answer 5

In our solar system, the largest planet is Jupiter, with a diameter of about 86,881 miles or 139,822 kilometers. However, in the broader universe, exoplanets have been discovered that are significantly larger than Jupiter.

When we talk about the upper limit of how big a planet can get, it is essential to consider the factors that determine planetary size. One crucial factor is the core accretion theory, which suggests that planets form from the gradual accumulation of smaller objects like dust and gas in a protoplanetary disk around a young star.

There is a limit to how massive a planet can become through this process before it starts accumulating gas at an accelerated rate and becomes a brown dwarf or even a star. This threshold is roughly around 13 times the mass of Jupiter, which is known as the deuterium-burning limit. At this point, the planet would begin to emit its own light and heat, essentially becoming a failed star.

In the realm of exoplanets, there are examples of "super-Jupiters" or gas giants that exceed Jupiter's mass by a significant margin. Some of these planets are known as hot Jupiters and are located very close to their host stars, leading to extreme temperature conditions and high levels of irradiation.

Overall, while Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, exoplanets have shown that there is a diverse range of planetary sizes beyond our immediate cosmic neighborhood, with some pushing the boundaries of what we traditionally think of as a planet.