Final answer:
Terrestrial planets include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, which are small, rocky planets close to the Sun with few or no moons and no rings. They feature solid surfaces with geological histories evident in their craters, mountains, and volcanoes. Earth's Moon shares similarities with these planets, while other moons typically orbit the gas giants and are icier.
Step-by-step explanation:
The planets being described are known as the terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. These planets are characterized by their rocky surfaces made of silicates and metals, primarily iron. Unlike the gas giants, terrestrial planets are smaller, have few or no moons (except for Earth), and none of them possess planetary rings. Furthermore, their orbits are relatively closer to each other and they orbit nearest to the Sun.
Terrestrial planets have solid surfaces with visible geological features such as craters, mountains, and volcanoes. These surfaces have been shaped by both impacts from space and internal geological activity. Over time, external influences on their surfaces have waned, allowing each of the terrestrial planets to evolve uniquely, despite sharing common characteristics in their early formation.