                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2023 April 4
    A large orange volcano is pictured on Mars from above. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

              Olympus Mons: Largest Volcano in the Solar System
   Image Credit: ESA, DLR, FU Berlin, Mars Express; Processing & CC BY 2.0
                            License: Andrea Luck

   Explanation: The largest volcano in our Solar System is on Mars.
   Although three times higher than Earth's Mount Everest, Olympus Mons
   will not be difficult for humans to climb because of the volcano's
   shallow slopes and Mars' low gravity. Covering an area greater than the
   entire Hawaiian volcano chain, the slopes of Olympus Mons typically
   rise only a few degrees at a time. Olympus Mons is an immense shield
   volcano, built long ago by fluid lava. A relatively static surface
   crust allowed it to build up over time. Its last eruption is thought to
   have been about 25 million years ago. The featured image was taken by
   the European Space Agency's robotic Mars Express spacecraft currently
   orbiting the Red Planet.

     Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                 (post 1995)
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
                NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

