{"id":1821,"date":"2025-06-25T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wizreads.wizako.com\/gmat-gre-sat-reading-comprehension-practice-articles-blog\/?p=1821"},"modified":"2025-07-14T17:20:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T11:50:26","slug":"could-jupiter-have-been-a-star-science-rc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wizreads.wizako.com\/gmat-gre-sat-reading-comprehension-practice-articles-blog\/science-technology-environment\/could-jupiter-have-been-a-star-science-rc\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Jupiter Have Been a Star? Science RC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Could Jupiter have been a star if circumstances were different? What separates a gas giant from a failed stellar object in our solar system? These Easy GMAT and GRE passages<\/a> explore Jupiter’s unique characteristics and formation history, encouraging readers to distinguish between scientific evidence and speculative theories while analyzing the fine line between planetary and stellar classification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read these hard RC passage(s) in Science Technology and Environment<\/a> and answer the question(s) that follows. You can choose the GMAT style Reading Passage and the question or the GRE RC variant and answer the GRE-style question. Even better, you could solve both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GMAT RC Practice<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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GRE Reading Passage<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Easy GMAT RC Passage | ~190 words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While mainstream astronomy definitively classifies Jupiter as a gas giant planet, alternative perspectives on its nature have emerged from various sources throughout history. Some fringe theorists propose that Jupiter represents a “failed star,” arguing that its composition\u2014approximately 90% hydrogen and helium\u2014mirrors that of the Sun and suggests stellar potential. These proponents contend that Jupiter’s substantial mass, gravitational influence on surrounding bodies, and capacity to generate internal heat through compression demonstrate characteristics typically associated with stellar objects rather than conventional planets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, established astronomical science firmly refutes such comparisons. Mainstream researchers emphasize that Jupiter lacks the critical mass threshold necessary for nuclear fusion, the fundamental process that defines stellar classification. They maintain that while Jupiter’s composition resembles stellar materials, this similarity merely reflects the common origin of all solar system objects from the primordial nebula. These scientists assert that Jupiter’s formation followed standard planetary accretion processes, accumulating gas and dust around a solid core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, some ancient Mesopotamian astronomers initially categorized Jupiter among “wandering stars” due to its brightness and apparent movement across the sky. This historical perspective, though scientifically outdated, demonstrates how observational limitations can influence celestial classification systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question Type: Inference | Question Difficulty: Easy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a characteristic for arguing in favor of Jupiter’s stellar nature?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Composition of approximately 90% hydrogen and helium<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Capacity to generate internal heat through compression<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Ability to undergo nuclear fusion processes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Gravitational influence on surrounding bodies<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Brightness observable from Earth<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n GMAT RC Question Answer & Explanation ▼<\/span><\/strong><\/summary>\n

    The passage explicitly states that “Jupiter lacks the critical mass threshold necessary for nuclear fusion, the fundamental process that defines stellar classification.” Nuclear fusion is described as the defining characteristic that Jupiter does not possess. All other options are mentioned as qualities Jupiter shares with stars: composition (90% hydrogen and helium “mirrors that of the Sun”), internal heat generation through compression, gravitational influence on surrounding bodies, and brightness (ancient astronomers categorized it among “wandering stars” due to its brightness).\n

    \nCorrect Answer: Choice (C)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/details>\n\n\n