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Terra

Terra is a Latin word meaning "Earth" and is used in various languages and fields as a reference to the planet, to terrestrial phenomena, or to the Earth as a goddess in mythology. In Roman religion, Terra or Tellus is the earth goddess, a personification of the planet’s fertility and agricultural abundance, sometimes identified with Gaia of Greek tradition. Festivals and rites honored Terra as a nurturing mother and provider of crops.

In science and exploration, Terra signifies Earth itself and is used in naming and terminology. Notably, Terra

In modern usage, Terra appears in place names and fiction, and as a generic term for Earth

See also: Terra (disambiguation).

is
the
name
of
NASA’s
Terra
spacecraft,
an
Earth
Observing
System
satellite
launched
in
1999
and
designed
to
study
the
global
environment.
It
carries
several
instruments,
including
the
Moderate
Resolution
Imaging
Spectroradiometer
(MODIS),
the
Multi-angle
Imaging
Spectroradiometer
(MISR),
the
Advanced
Spaceborne
Thermal
Emission
and
Reflection
Radiometer
(ASTER),
the
Clouds
and
the
Earth’s
Radiant
Energy
System
(CERES)
radiometer,
and
the
Measurements
of
Pollution
in
the
Troposphere
(MOPITT).
Terra
provides
data
on
land,
oceans,
atmosphere,
and
aerosols,
supporting
climate,
weather,
and
environmental
research.
in
many
languages.
The
adjective
terran
is
used
in
science
fiction
to
describe
humans
or
Earth-like
beings.