And you thought Mount Everest was big! Incredible interactive map reveals the tallest mountains in the Solar System – with the peaks on Earth dwarfed in comparison to those on other worlds
- Interactive map shows how the solar system’s mountains cast shadows on Mount Everest
- The tallest mountain in the solar system is found on the asteroid Vesta
Everest has been the ultimate challenge for every climber since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first climbed it in 1953.
But as the prospect of humanity expanding throughout the solar system becomes more real, mountaineers of the future may face an even greater challenge.
This impressive interactive map shows the tallest mountains in the solar system, with several peaks far surpassing the highest points on Earth.
The highest point in the solar system is on the asteroid Vesta, a space rock so large that it represents nine percent of the mass of all known asteroids.
At 22,500 m (74,000 ft) is Vesta’s Rheasilvia The mountain is nearly three times as tall as Mount Everest and was formed from an impact crater that covers 90 percent of the entire asteroid.
In second place is Olympus Mons on Mars, the tallest volcano in the solar system at 21,945 meters (72,000 feet) above the Mars Global Datum (MGN), which is equivalent to sea level.
Not only is Olympus Mons exceptionally high, this ‘shield volcano’ is also exceptionally wide, covering an area the size of France.
Fortunately for future Martian explorers, the volcano does not appear to have been active for the past 25 million years.
What do we know about the highest peak on Mars?
At 21,945 meters (72,000 feet) above the Mars Global Datum (the equivalent of sea level), Olympus Mons is the tallest mountain on Mars.
It was first discovered in 1971 by NASA’s Mariner 9 spacecraft and is named after the mythological home of the Greek gods.
Although only the second largest mountain in the solar system, its summit can lay claim to the title of largest volcano.
The mountain is part of a range of peaks called the Tharsis Ridge, which is located near the planet’s equator.
Unlike volcanoes on Earth, Olympus Mons was not formed by the movement of tectonic plates, but is located above a Magame hotspot.
This allowed the volcano to expand over millions of years and grow to colossal proportions, eventually covering an area the size of France.
Recently, scientists surprisingly discovered that ice forms on the mountaintop.
Every day, a layer of frost the thickness of a human hair forms on the summit, leaving enough water to fill 60 Olympic swimming pools.
Mars’ tallest mountain, Olympus Mons, rises nearly 22 km (13.6 miles) above the Martian landscape