Terrestrial planet Terrestrial planet A 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
Earth: The Power of the Planet on the 15 September 2008. A 240-page hardcover book written by Iain Stewart and John Lynch () covering the topics seen in the episodes was released prior to the series being broadcast on the 18 October 2007. Earth: The Power of the Planet Earth: The Power of the Planet is a British documentary television series that premiered on BBC Two on 20 November 2007. The five-part series is presented by geologist Iain Stewart. In the United States, the series was broadcast in 2008 on the National Geographic Channel as Earth: The Biography. During filming in Madagascar, a new species of