“Breathtaking 12-Mile-Tall Volcano on Mars Breaks Through Clouds – Stunning Space Photo of the Day (June 10, 2025)”

A little after sunrise on June 6, 2025, NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter captured a stunning sight: Arsia Mons, one of the largest volcanoes on Mars, breaking through the clouds. This volcano is part of the Tharsis group, which includes several other massive peaks.

Arsia Mons towers over 12 miles (20 kilometers) high, with a base spanning 270 miles (450 kilometers). That’s almost twice the height of Mauna Loa, Earth’s largest volcano, which rises only 6 miles (9 kilometers) from the ocean floor.

Due to its impressive height, Arsia Mons often gets cloaked in clouds. These clouds form as warm air rises along the volcano’s slopes and cools quickly. During aphelion, when Mars is farthest from the sun, these clouds become particularly thick and create what scientists call the aphelion cloud belt, according to NASA.

Arsia Mons is the southernmost of the Tharsis volcanoes, situated in Mars’ western hemisphere near its equator. Some researchers believe a massive fracture in the planet’s crust sparked the eruptions that formed the Tharsis range. Just northwest of Arsia Mons is Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the entire solar system, reaching about 16 miles (25 kilometers) high.

What makes Arsia Mons captivating? Its cloud cover has made it tricky to photograph. The recent image from the Mars Odyssey provides a unique view, showing the volcano’s peak peeking above the clouds. This is the first time any of the Tharsis volcanoes has been seen on the horizon from this vantage point, similar to what astronauts see from the International Space Station when looking down at Earth, according to NASA.

Interestingly, the clouds surrounding Arsia Mons are composed of water ice. This is a stark contrast to other regions of Mars, where dust storms are common, mainly made up of carbon dioxide. The Martian atmosphere actually holds more water vapor than the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere. Studying these icy cloud formations helps scientists understand the weather and storms on Mars better.

As we learn more about Mars, the mysteries of its volcanoes and cloud systems become clearer. Every new discovery provides valuable insights into our planetary neighbor, paving the way for future explorations.



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