The tallest mountain in the Solar System is Olympus Mons, a shield volcano on Mars. NASA’s Mars Odyssey Photojournal lists its height as 21.9 km (13.6 miles, or 72,000 feet). Other NASA pages give different figures because they describe height using different reference points.
How tall is Olympus Mons?
NASA’s Mars Odyssey Photojournal gives Olympus Mons a height of 21.9 km (13.6 miles, or 72,000 feet) in its 2023 entry for Olympus Mons. That is a useful headline figure, but it should be read with its source and measurement context rather than treated as a universally agreed height from a single baseline.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
NASA’s 2003 image of the summit says the summit area lies just over 20 km above the Martian 0 km datum. Other NASA educational materials describe the volcano as 25 km tall or as more than 26 km above its base. These figures are not necessarily contradictory: elevation above a datum and relief measured from a mountain’s base are different ways to describe height, and the cited pages do not give one harmonized method for comparing them.
Is Olympus Mons a mountain or a volcano?
It is both: Olympus Mons is a mountain formed by a shield volcano. Shield volcanoes build broad, gently sloping profiles as lava accumulates around a volcanic center. NASA describes Olympus Mons as having a gentle slope and a width more than twenty times its height; a NASA classroom resource gives the summit caldera a width of 80 km.
#1 Best Overall
- 【SET CONTENT】The solar system kit includes 7.87 inches of foam discs, 1 sun, 12 foam balls of different shapes, 4 foam stars, 15 bamboo sticks 15 toothpick flags, 12 Colors, 2 Brushes, 1 palette, 1 instruction. The Solar System Model Kit provides everything kids need to carry out solar system projects, kids can easily start solar system projects in school or at home!
- 【Space Enlightenment】The Solar System Model Kit allows kids to color and build their own solar system model, providing kids a more intuitive understanding of the planet in the solar system. With a Solar System Instruction, which introduces kids to the relevant details of the solar system, sparking their curiosity and desire to explore astronomy and science!
- 【High Quality】The solar system science kit for kids 3-5 is made of durable polystyrene foam with a smooth surface that's easy to color, and includes 12 acrylic paints, which are safe and odorless. Kids can use their imagination to create the planets of the school solar system project!
- 【Learning by Playing】The solar system project kit helps kids build skills through fun. Creating planets not only improves kids hand-eye coordination and focus, but also boosts their scientific knowledge and artistic skills.
- 【Wide Application】The Solar System Kit is perfect for themes and activities about the solar system and planets. It’s great for enhancing classroom learning about the solar system and also makes a fun family activity.
Its immense breadth can make its steep overall scale difficult to appreciate from the summit. NASA Ames notes that the curvature of Mars also affects how the broad slope appears from the ground.
Why did Olympus Mons grow so large?
NASA/JPL’s explanation is that Mars does not have Earth-like moving tectonic plates traveling over hotspots. On Earth, that motion can produce a chain of volcanoes; on Mars, volcanic activity could keep building at one location, allowing a single volcano to grow much larger. NASA/JPL also points to Mars’s lower gravity, which could allow magma to be pushed to greater heights. NASA presents these factors as an explanation for the volcano’s scale, not as a precise calculation of how tall it had to become.
Rank #2
- Complete Kit: our solar system kit includes 10 foam balls, 12 colors vibrant pigments, 2 paintbrushes, a paint tray, and 2 packs of small stones, along with a solar system background KT board, and 1 roll of adhesive tape; Everything you need to create a vibrant solar system model for classroom displays or home projects
- Different Sizes: our DIY solar system modle features 10 foam planet balls in various sizes that accurately depict the scale of the solar system, including Pluto; These balls encourages imagination and hands on learning about the vastness and diversity of planets in our solar system
- Easy to Assemble: our solar system project kit offers an engaging and practical method to learn about solar system planets by hand; Painting the planets, sticking balls to included background KT borad setting, up your solar system model has never been easier
- Safe Materials: the foam balls in this solar system model kit are made from safe and density polystyrene lightweight with a smooth surface and acrylic paints are safe for kids; For safety and longer life, always fully unfold the bulbs before use; Bundling them can cause overheating and hazards
- Engaging Learning Tool: our solar system ball kit is not just about crafting; It's an ideal way for you and your child to learn about planets through a hands on approach; Ideal for DIY projects, school projects, and science projects, it integrates creativity with educational value, making learning enjoyable
How does Olympus Mons compare with Mount Everest?
NASA’s Photojournal lists Olympus Mons at 72,000 feet and Mount Everest at 29,032 feet, making the stated Olympus Mons figure roughly two and a half times Everest’s. NASA/JPL describes Olympus Mons as more than twice as tall as Everest.
The comparison is useful for scale, but the reference points are not identical: Everest’s familiar elevation is measured above sea level, while NASA’s descriptions of Olympus Mons use a Martian datum or the volcano’s base. The ratio should therefore be understood as a comparison of the published figures, not as a perfectly like-for-like survey measurement.
Rank #3
- BUILD & DISPLAY A MOVING, GLOWING SOLAR SYSTEM – With this kit, kids can customize all 8 planets and the sun, creating a stunning 3D solar system model that glows in the dark! It’s an awesome addition to any space-themed room.
- ALL-INCLUSIVE KIT – Everything needed to build a glowing solar system is included: 6 vibrant paint colors, glow-in-the-dark accent paint, brush, palette, fun decals, and a poster with solar system facts! Kid-friendly instructions make assembly easy!
- MOVABLE ARMS FOR EASY ADJUSTMENTS – Adjust the position of the planets with ease! The model’s movable arms allow kids to set up and rearrange their solar system display to match their imagination.
- LEARN HANDS-ON FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM – Dive into the wonders of space with this engaging model kit! Kids will learn fascinating facts about each planet as they build and explore their own glow-in-the-dark solar system.
- AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTS - Blue Marble, winner of the Toy Association's prestigious Toy of the Year Award, proudly develops products that foster education, imagination, and creativity, with a U.S. support team to ensure a stellar experience!
Why do sources give different heights?
Different NASA pages use different descriptions and baselines. The Mars Odyssey Photojournal’s 21.9 km figure is its stated mountain height; another Photojournal page places the summit just over 20 km above the Martian datum; educational pages give 25 km or more than 26 km above the base. Since those pages do not establish a single shared measurement convention, the figures should not be treated as interchangeable or as proof that one is an error.
One other number can be misleading: the 2023 Photojournal entry gives an elevation change of 7,757 m (25,449 feet) across the pictured Olympus Rupes escarpment. That is a local change in elevation across the feature shown in the image, not the total height of Olympus Mons.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Solar system model kit: package comes with 12 pieces foam balls, 2 pieces foam rings, 15 pieces bamboo sticks, 15 pieces toothpick flags, 12 color pigments, 2 pieces painting brushes, 1 pieces paint tray palette. Now securely shipped in a sturdy cardboard box to guarantee all pieces arrive undamaged and ready for your project.
- Variety of Sizes for Visual Learning: The kit includes 10 differently sized foam balls (as pictured) to visually represent the relative scale and hierarchy of the Sun, planets, and Pluto. This hands-on approach helps learners easily observe and understand planetary size relationships.
- Upgraded Premium Paint Set: Features our enhanced paint set with 12 vibrant colors (increased from 8), each in a larger 5ml pot for richer coverage, longer use, and more creative possibilities.
- Easy to assemble: You can identify the different planets by writing the planet's name on a blank toothpick flag and inserting it into a foam ball. No glue required, they can be easily assembled using bamboo skewers, create your planetary model to understand how our solar system is arranged.
- Fun learning tool: You and your kids had a great time painting and putting this together and learnt a lot about the planets in the process. It was a decent lesson representing the Solar system for a young child. Perfect for handmade craft, DIY decoration, school project, science projects and more.
Rank #4
- Immersive Solar System Projector: Our solar system for kids is nice STEM toys for 5+ year old who love to explore the universe. With our solar system model, they can project the 8 planets orbiting the sun onto any surface through the lights, turning their ceiling into a planetarium that they desire. It’s like being on the scene and allows children to explore the mysteries of the fantasy universe in their rooms.
- Talking Planets Toys in EN & ES: Our educational toys includes both English and Spanish options, easy to switch. Children can press the planet pattern on the base to get interesting educational facts about astronomy and help them expand their knowledge of the solar system. It’s easy to use and fun to learn, making it a real learning toys for 5+ year old.
- 24 HD Space Exploration Slides: The planets for kids come with 3 disks for a total of 24 full-color images! Show kids the solar system, spaceships, astronauts, and planets. Insert the disks into the projector, the image can be projected on the wall, adjust the top knob to the clearest effect, and start our journey in space.
- 2-in-1 Bedtime Companion & Night Light: No more bedtime fears! Our solar system stem toys for 3 4 5+ year old girls and boys comes with a bright LED solar dome that kids can use as a night light or flashlight at night and no longer afraid to fall asleep alone. When children go to the bathroom at night, turning on the solar system projector can also provide light in the dark to prevent falling. Powered by 3 AA batteries (not included).
- Easy Assembly & Worry-free Gift: Designed for little hands and stress-free parents! The snap-and-lock pole ensures a sturdy, wobble-free setup in seconds (simply press the solar sphere down until you hear a slight "click"). Made of durable, kid-safe materials, it makes premium educational gifts for 3 4 5 6 7 8 year old boys girls, for birthdays, Christmas, or holidays.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems
