Interiors and surfaces of terrestrial planets and major satellites

Abstract

To reliably advance in studies of extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, we need previously a solid understanding of our own planetary neighborhood. In this chapter, we will give a general overview of the internal structure, composition, surface features, and geologic units of the four terrestrial planets of the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. We will include the Earth's Moon as part of a large Earth-Moon system. We will also revise the current knowledge of the surfaces and interiors of six most representative major satellites orbiting the giant gas planets of the solar system: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto (Jupiter), Titan (Saturn), and Triton (Neptune).