Terrestrial Planet

Definition: Terrestrial Planet

Terrestrial Planet

Noun

1. A planet having a compact rocky surface like the Earth's; the four innermost planets in the solar system.

Specialty Definitions: Terrestrial Planet

Domain	Definitions
Geography	The planets in the inner solar system which fall in a class with our own as to size and density. Source: European Union. (references)
Space	One of the four inner Earth-like planets. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Specialty Definition: Terrestrial planet

A terrestrial planet is a planet which is mostly composed of silicate rocks. The term is derived from the Greek word for Earth, "Terra", so an alternate definition would be that these are planets which are, in some notable fashion, "Earth-like". Terrestrial planets are substantially different from gas giants, which may not have solid surfaces and are composed mostly of some combination of hydrogen, helium, and water -- existing in various physical statess. Terrestrial planets all have roughly the same structure: a central metallic core, mostly iron, with a surrounding silicate mantle. Luna is similar, but lacks an iron core. Terrestrial planets have canyons, craters, mountains, and volcanoes.

Earth's solar system has four terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. At one time there were probably many more terrestrials, but most have been ejected from the solar system or otherwise destroyed. Only one terrestrial planet, Earth, is known to have an active hydrosphere.

NASA is considering a proposed project called the Terrestrial Planet Finder, which will be capable of detecting terrestrial planets in other solar systems. All currently-known extrasolar planets are extremely large, and are most likely to be gas giants.

See also:

Jovian planet

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Terrestrial Planet

Modern Translations: Terrestrial Planet

Language		Translations for "terrestrial planet"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Danish		jordlignende planet. (various references)

French		planète tellurique. (various references)

Greek		τελλουρικοί πλανήτες. (various references)

Pig Latin		errestrialtay anetplay

Portuguese		planeta telúrico. (various references)

Spanish		planeta telúrico. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Anagrams: Terrestrial Planet

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-a-e-e-e-i-l-l-n-p-r-r-r-s-t-t-t"
	-4 letters: interpellates, transliterate.
	-5 letters: interpellate, interpreters, interrelates, interstellar, preliterates, reinterprets, teleprinters.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.