APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
The Mountains of Mars
Explanation: Volcanic activity on Mars has produced towering mountains. The largest one, Olympus Mons, is pictured here in this Viking Orbiter image. Olympus Mons is a shield volcano nearly 15 miles high and over 300 miles wide at its base. By comparison, Earth's largest volcano, Mauna Loa in Hawaii, is just over 5 miles high and about 12 miles wide.
For more information about volcanic mountains on Mars see Calvin J. Hamilton's Mars page. The exploration of Mars is chronicled by the Center For Mars Exploration. The exploration of Mars is chronicled by the Center For Mars Exploration.
| Date | July 19, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Credit | NASA,Viking Project |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |



