  The detection of lower mass planets now being reported via radial velocity
and microlensing surveys suggests that they may be ubiquitous. If missions such
as Kepler are able to confirm this, the detection and study of rocky planets
via direct imaging with ground-based telescopes of apertures > 20 m is feasible
in the thermal infrared. We discuss two cases for detecting rocky planets, the
first via detection of molten Earths formed though an Earth-Moon like impact
event, and the second via detection of planets around very nearby stars. These
observations have the potential to give us a first look at a rocky planet
similar to the Earth.
