What vital components might Jupiter have delivered to young Earth during formation via deflection?
Water and the organic molecules necessary for biology.
During the chaotic initial phase of solar system history, approximately 4.6 billion years ago, Jupiter's massive gravitational influence likely acted as a supplier rather than solely a protector. Its powerful gravity is hypothesized to have deflected icy comets and asteroids inward toward the forming, young Earth. These deflected objects were crucial because they carried volatile compounds, most importantly water, along with the essential organic molecules required for initiating the complex chemistry that leads to abiogenesis and, eventually, life. Without this early delivery service orchestrated by Jupiter's migration, early Earth might have been significantly drier and chemically less diverse.
