by ktemkin » Jul 11, 2006 @ 9:52am
Well, according to a quick google around, the consensus from most sites is that jupiter is too small, and has a center too cool to ignite the nuclear reactions that are neccesary to categorize it as a planet instead of a sun.
So, to summarize: Jupter is a planet, not a sun; and the differentiating factor between a sun and a large, gaseous planet, is the presense of nuclear reactions.
QED ∎