Jupiter and Saturn have protected life on Earth for hundreds of millions of years by shielding us from comets. Many large comets hurtling towards Earth all the way from the edge of the Solar System have been batted away by the two gas giants, preserving life as we know it. The guardian planets effectively act as the planet’s bouncers, research has shown. Most scientists agree that a catastrophic asteroid collision 65 million years ago wiped out the dinosaurs. Astronomers know that Jupiter and Saturn’s gravitational fields can eject comets into interstellar space, or draw them in so that they crash into the giant planets. The new study suggests we may … Continue reading Daily Mail Reporter