- Interactive map reveals how the Solar System’s mountains dwarf Mount Everest
- The tallest mountain in the Solar System can be found on the asteroid Vesta
Since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first conquered Everest in 1953, the mountain has been the ultimate challenge for any climber.
But as the prospect of humanity spreading throughout the solar system becomes more real, the mountaineers of the future might face an even more daunting challenge.
This incredible interactive map reveals the tallest mountains in the solar system – with several peaks dwarfing Earth’s highest points.
The solar system’s highest peak can be found on the asteroid Vesta – a space rock so large it accounts for nine per cent of the mass of all known asteroids.
At 22,500m (74,000ft), Vesta’s Rheasilvia mountain is almost three times the height of Everest and is formed from an impact crater that covers 90 per cent of the entire asteroid.
Coming in a close second is Olympus Mons on Mars, which is the tallest volcano in the solar system at 21,945m (72,000ft) above the Mars Global Datum – the equivalent of sea level.
Not only is Olympus Mons exceptionally tall but this ‘shield volcano’ is also exceptionally wide and is spread over an area the same size as France.
However, luckily for any future Martian explorers, the volcano appears to have been dormant for at least the last 25 million years.
What do we know about Mars’ tallest peak?
Rising 21,945m (72,000ft) above the Mars Global Datum – the equivalent of sea level – Olympus Mons is the biggest mountain on Mars.
It was first discovered in 1971 by the NASA Mariner 9 spacecraft and is named after the mythological home of the Greek gods.
Although this is only the second biggest mountain in the solar system, the peak does claim the accolade of being the largest volcano.
The mountain is part of a chain of peaks called the Tharsis Rise, located near the equator of the planet.
Unlike volcanoes on Earth, Olympus Mons is not formed by the movement of tectonic plates but, rather, sits above a magame hotspot.
This has let the volcano build up over millions of years of activity, allowing it to grow to colossal proportions, eventually covering an area the size of France.
Recently, scientists made the surprising discovery that ice forms on top of the mountain.
Each day a layer of frost the thickness of a human hair settles over the peak, depositing enough water to fill 60 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Mars’ tallest mountain, Olympus Mons, rises almost 22km (13.6 miles) above the Martian landscape
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