At the same time, many people on the ground witnessed this scene and mistakenly believed it was a supernova, which was the overwhelming majority.
At such close proximity, the gamma rays produced by a supernova explosion would inevitably trigger a global ecological disaster. For a time, the narrative that Earth was about to be destroyed once again filled the internet.
Countless astronomy enthusiasts immediately began observations, but they quickly discovered that it was not a supernova, but a burning Jupiter!
This discovery was even more shocking than a supernova appearing in the sky.
Uninformed onlookers did not think that igniting Jupiter was a big deal, and many even believed that Jupiter would become a star sooner or later.
However, anyone with even a basic understanding of astronomy was stunned by this news and could not understand how Jupiter could become a star.
But some people had peculiar points of focus. A kind of alarmist viewpoint spread rapidly and caused widespread panic: there is only one sun in the sky, and Earth's environment is habitable. Now that there are two, can Earth remain habitable as before? The apocalypse is coming, and Earth will become like the world in Three-Body Problem!
Some also believed that Jupiter becoming a star was definitely a type of supernova, and Earth would be hit by excessive gamma-ray radiation, turning into a dead star in no time.
Others were enthusiastic about discussing what new name to give Jupiter, as it was no longer a planet and it was inappropriate to continue calling it Jupiter. However, before they could even reach a consensus, the name "Mu Yang" had already gone viral online.
Jupiter becoming a sun, abbreviated as Mu Yang, was fitting, wasn't it?
It wasn't until the authorities issued a statement to debunk the rumors that all sorts of chaotic theories had to subside: Although Jupiter had undergone new changes, it was too far from Earth, with the closest distance being 4.2 astronomical units, which is four times the distance from Earth to the Sun!
Moreover, Jupiter was too small, more than 70 times smaller than the smallest star in the universe. Its temperature and luminosity were incomparable to those of a real star. It was simply a dwarf with stunted growth, not even enough to make up the numbers.
Its light and heat had a negligible impact on Earth. Even at its closest approach, it could not affect Earth's temperature, not even by 0.1 degrees Celsius.
However, for ordinary people, the change in Jupiter was a good thing. Everyone could observe Jupiter and the various asteroids passing across its surface with a beginner-level telescope of comparable magnification on a clear night.
Many amateur astronomers and even professional astronomers had already begun observing asteroids and the continuous "transit" spectacle. Some even compiled schedules of Ceres and other large asteroids transiting for all astronomy enthusiasts to reference.
The major moons around Jupiter were naturally not missed, with each being listed.
The Expedition II was completely unaware of the situation on Earth. The warship retreated to outside Callisto before stabilizing its orbit.
In just a few days, the ignited Jupiter had triggered a series of chain reactions.
The first to bear the brunt was Io. Its environment was already extremely harsh, and this made things even worse. Temperatures soared, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occurred frequently, and scorching magma flowed everywhere. A film crew could directly use it as a real-life filming location for hell.
However, this was only temporary. Soon, it would become a replica of Mercury.
Europa and Ganymede were even more affected. In just a few days, their icy shells had melted, forming shallow oceans. Due to pressure, the newly formed oceans were like giant boiling hot pots, with every foot and inch of water boiling.
The dispersed water vapor formed a thin atmosphere, which showed a tendency to gradually stabilize – their orbits were all within Jupiter's magnetic field. Previously, there were no conditions, but now that the environment had changed, these moons might possess dense atmospheres in the near future!
Of course, this was only a possibility, and it was still uncertain what the future held. Even if an atmosphere could not originally form, wasn't there the intervention of the Brain Fish?
According to the simulation calculations of the ship's computer, within a few years, Europa and Ganymede would have oceans hundreds of meters deep, forming "ice-surface oceans" and "sub-ice oceans" separated by ice layers.
However, the melting of the ice shells would not stop there but would continue. It might take hundreds or even thousands of years to completely melt the ice layer, which was hundreds of kilometers thick.
By then, the two oceans, one on the surface and one beneath the ice, would merge. Humans could deploy deep-sea exploration probes into the moons to see if there were any indigenous species there.
Only with a stable atmosphere could the oceans on these two moons exist permanently. However, Jupiter's current situation was still unstable, and it was unclear which moon would be habitable.
Of course, the Brain Fish did not need to worry so much. They could choose any moon to temporarily reside in, and as soon as they recovered, they could make a comeback at any time.
In comparison, Callisto was the biggest beneficiary.
It was a semi-solid, semi-liquid moon. Even if all the ice melted, some land would remain. With mountains and waters, combined with a suitable temperature, the evolution of an Earth-like environment was only a matter of time.
In other words, as long as Jupiter steadily emitted light and heat, and as long as Callisto's temperature was suitable, it would be the most suitable planet for human immigration!
However, Callisto was also the last stronghold of the Brain Fish. It was foreseeable that in the near future, humans and the Brain Fish would inevitably clash fiercely on Callisto, and it would not be strange if the moon itself was destroyed.
Ou Zhanpeng personally witnessed the changes in the moons. Even though he knew none of it could be changed, he still harbored a sense of disbelief: Would the solar system henceforth be polarized?
On one side, the Brain Fish occupied Jupiter, continuously growing stronger and harassing Earth, while on the other side, humans occupied Earth, trying every means to resist the invasion. The two sides would engage in a protracted interstellar war until one side was destroyed, or even annihilated together?
He really wanted to immediately attack the alien species on Callisto, but the alien base had already sunk underwater before the Expedition II returned. Furthermore, the Expedition II had expended all its nuclear missiles and could only rely on electromagnetic cannons and plasma cannons to maintain its presence, lacking any means to destroy the alien base.
The second ship continuously transmitted information about Jupiter back to Earth. In the capital, a large-scale discussion was held regarding future developments and strategic deployments, and a consensus was quickly reached.
The foreign affairs department acted swiftly. Within just a few days, news broke: Recently, Yan Jing and Moscow reached a new strategic technology transfer agreement. They would soon sell new naval reactors to Russia and assist them in building new spacecraft.
Yan Jing clearly recognized that it was impossible to resist the alien species alone. They had to pull other Earth companions onto the chariot to jointly deal with the enemies from outer space.
It would be better for Jupiter to fall into the hands of other companions than into the hands of the Brain Fish, wouldn't it?
In addition, at the request of Europe, Yan Jing agreed to conduct comprehensive consultations with the European side on the transfer of space technology.
When the news broke, the Americans' eyes immediately turned red.