A volcano on another scale
Olympus Mons is the tallest volcano in our solar system, rising far above the surrounding Martian plains.
← Solar SystemThe red planet.
SOLAR SYSTEM / MARS
The red planet.
Clues to a wetter past.
A rusty desert world with towering volcanoes and ancient riverbeds. Its landscape preserves clues to a wetter past.
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DRAG TO ROTATE
ARTISTIC MODEL · TEXTURE & ROTATION NOT TO SCALEMEAN DIAMETER6,779 km
DISTANCE FROM SUN227.9 million km
ORBITAL PERIOD687 days
TERRESTRIAL PLANET / PLANET 04
Small facts. Big discoveries.
Rust gives Mars its color
Iron minerals in the soil oxidize. The same basic chemistry that creates rust gives Mars its reddish appearance.
An almost familiar day
A Martian day, called a sol, lasts about 24.6 hours—only a little longer than a day on Earth.