October 19, 1998
Olympus Mons on
Mars is the largest
volcano in the
Solar System.
Although three times higher than Earth's
Mount Everest, Olympus Mons would not be difficult
to climb because of the volcano's great breadth.
Covering an area greater than the entire
Hawaiian volcano chain,
the slopes of Olympus Mons
typically rise only a few degrees at a time.
The low gravity of
Mars combined with a relatively static surface crust
allow
volcanoes
this large to build up over time.
This representative-color image was taken last
April by the
Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft
currently orbiting Mars.