Future space missions are being designed to search remotely for terrestrial planets around other stars. The layers of gases surrounding the surface of a planet make up what is known as an atmosphere.

The formation of our solar system from a singular nebula raises an intriguing question: why did each planet develop with a ...

and a ground layer of herbaceous vegetation. Tropical forests have the highest biodiversity and primary productivity of any of the terrestrial biomes. Net primary productivity ranges from 2–3 kg ...

But once the star ignites, the inner layers of dust heat up dramatically ... These rocky bits eventually coalesced to form the terrestrial planets. However, at a distance of around 4 astronomical ...

Far from being just a roundish rock barreling through space, our planet is composed of several layers held together by intense forces of gravity. Our planet's interior is much too deep and hot to ...

These situations allows scientists to investigate the usually hidden interiors of terrestrial worlds. Two teams of astronomers, including the observed planet's discoverers, now intend to join up ...