Terrestrial Planet

Cosma / Communication / Knowledge / Realm / Physical / Universe / Solar System / Terrestrial Planet
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Terrestrial planet, telluric planet, or rocky planet is a planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals. Within the Solar System, the terrestrial planets are the inner planets closest to the Sun, i.e. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The terms “terrestrial planet” and “telluric planet” are derived from Latin words for Earth (Terra and Tellus), as these planets are, in terms of structure, “Earth-like”.

Terrestrial planets have a solid planetary surface, making them substantially different from the larger giant planets, which are composed mostly of some combination of hydrogen, helium, and water existing in various physical states. — Wikipedia

Terrestrial Planet (Encyclopædia Britannica)

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Inspiration

The Inner Solar System: Discovering Earth’s Neighborhood (NASA Goddard, YouTube Playlist)

Articles about Terrestrial Planets (Big Think)

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Innovation

Science

Inner Planets (Lunar & Planetary Institute)

The Terrestrial Planets (Introduction to Astronomy, Wolfgang H. Berger, UC San Diego)
Comparing Earth to Other Terrestrial Planets (Introduction to Astronomy, Wolfgang H. Berger, UC San Diego)

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Preservation

Library

Subject: Terrestrial Planets (Library Thing)

Subject: Terrestrial Planets (Open Library)

Subject: Terrestrial Planets (WorldCat)

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Participation

Education

Explore the Solar System: The Rocky Planets (SciShow Kids, YouTube Video)
Weather In Space: The Rocky Planets (Crash Course Kids, YouTube Video)

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Course

Physics and Chemistry of the Terrestrial Planets (Benjamin Weiss and Leigh Royden, MIT OpenCourseware)

Community

Organization

Mercury and Venus Section (British Astronomical Association)
Mars Section (British Astronomical Association)

News

Terrestrial Planets (Nova Research Highlights, American Astronomical Society)
Terrestrial Planets (EurekaAlert, American Association for the Advancement of Science)
Terrestrial Planets (JSTOR)
Terrestrial Planet (Astronomy Magazine)
Terrestrial Planets (Science Daily)
Terrestrial Planets (Phys.org)

Recent News from Phys.org …

Map of Life: More progress needed to safeguard...
on October 27, 2026 at 4:20 pm
Global efforts to preserve habitat and the planet's most endangered species urgently need to be stepped up, according to a new report from Map of Life, the flagship initiative of the Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change.
Can restoring large animals help mitigate climate...
on October 20, 2026 at 3:40 pm
Can protecting elephants and whales help mitigate climate change?
Japan to launch world-first mission to moon of...
on October 19, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Japanese scientists will launch a spacecraft on Tuesday that aims to be the first to retrieve samples from one of Mars' moons, potentially helping unlock the origins of the solar system and life on Earth.
Japan to launch historic round-trip mission to...
on October 18, 2026 at 8:20 pm
Japanese scientists are readying a mission to Mars' moons to retrieve samples that could help unlock the origins of the solar system and life on Earth, in what aims to be the first round trip to the Martian region.
First comprehensive Mars soil classification...
on October 16, 2026 at 8:40 pm
A Ph.D. student at the University of Sydney has produced the first comprehensive classification system and map of Martian soils, creating a new framework that could help scientists compare landscapes across the Red Planet and identify promising locations for future exploration, habitation and food production.