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Olympus Mons

Also known as Nix Olympica

tallest volcano on Mars

AI overview

Olympus Mons is the tallest volcano on Mars, towering far above the planet's surface. Scientists study it to understand Mars' geological history and volcanic activity, which helps us learn more about how planets like Mars developed over time.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Official name: Olympus Mons
Area: 300000
Elevation: 21229
Diameter: 610.13
Radius: 305.065
Image: Olympus Mons alt.jpg
Height: 21.9

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Commons category: Olympus Mons
inception: 3830000000
age estimated by a dating method: 3.830

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Article

Olympus Mons (/əˌlɪmpəs ˈmɒnz, oʊ-/; Latin for 'Mount Olympus') is a large shield volcano on Mars. As measured by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), it is 21.287 kilometres (69,840 ft) high, about 2.5 times the elevation of Mount Everest above sea level. It is Mars's tallest volcano, its tallest planetary mountain, and is approximately tied with Rheasilvia on Vesta as the tallest mountain currently discovered in the Solar System. It is associated with the volcanic region of Tharsis Montes. It last erupted 25 million years ago.

Olympus Mons is the youngest of the large volcanoes on Mars, having formed during the Martian Hesperian Period with eruptions continuing well into the Amazonian Period. It has been known to astronomers since the late 19th century as the albedo feature Nix Olympica (Latin for "Olympic Snow"), and its mountainous nature was suspected well before space probes confirmed it as a mountain.