Olympus Mons

Olympus Mons is the tallest volcano and mountain in the solar system, located on Mars. It’s a shield volcano, meaning it has broad, gentle slopes built by flowing lava over billions of years. Standing about 22 kilometers (13.6 miles) high—almost three times taller than Mount Everest—it spans approximately 600 kilometers (370 miles) in diameter, roughly equivalent to the size of the state of Arizona. Its immense size results from low gravity and a lack of tectonic plate movement on Mars, allowing lava to accumulate and create a massive geological feature that highlights the planet’s volcanic history.