Which four inner Solar System planets exemplify terrestrial worlds?
Answer
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
The template for a rocky or terrestrial planet is perfectly illustrated by the four innermost planets orbiting the Sun in our Solar System. These worlds—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—formed close enough to the young Sun where temperatures precluded the condensation of volatile ices. Consequently, they accumulated the heavy materials available: rock-forming silicates and solid metals like iron and nickel. This shared fundamental composition distinguishes them as a cohesive group from the outer Solar System's gas giants and ice giants, which are composed primarily of light elements and volatiles.
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