Assignment 1 Research: The Terrestrial Planets - Essay Example

The section that follows discusses the general structural and component features that describe the essentials of terrestrial planets. One of the main characteristic of terrestrial planets is that they are closest to the sun. They are so called because they constitute the planets that are near the sun in the solar system. When measured, the distance between the sun and these planets is small as compared to the distance from the sun to other planets considered to be extra-terrestrial (outside the terrestrial position).

2 The following illustration shows the terrestrial planets and their positions relative to the sun. They are basically formed of heavy and rocky metals as the main components of their structure. Their cores are made of iron as their metallic element. Their mantles are mainly composed of silicates are also eminently cover the iron based core. Numerous studies have been dedicated to understanding the components and features of the solar system. Discoveries reveal that these groups of planets have either fewer or no moons.

An examination of the solar system shows that Mercury as a planet has no moon while the Earth has only one moon. On the other hand, the Mars has two but small moons. The astronomical studies have asserted that these key features distinguishthe terrestrial planets from the rest of the planets which are hugely giant gases. These non-terrestrial planets are called giant gas due to huge gas bubbles realized or occupying their atmospheres as revealed by space discoveries.3The terrestrial planets differ slightly in their atmospheric pressure and composition.

This brings in the concept of life and why the three planets (Mars, Venus and Mercury) are either inhabitable or less habitable. The mercury is the smallest of all planets in the terrestrial group with the thinnest atmosphere making its atmospheric conditions to alternate between very high and burning temperatures and extremely low