List of tallest mountains in the Solar System


This is a list of the tallest mountains in the Solar System. The tallest peak or peaks on worlds where significant mountains have been measured are given. For some worlds, the tallest peaks of different classes are also listed. At 21.9 km, the enormous shield volcano Olympus Mons on Mars is the tallest mountain on any planet in the Solar System. For 40 years, following its discovery in 1971, it was the tallest mountain known in the Solar System. However, in 2011, the central peak of the crater Rheasilvia on the asteroid and protoplanet Vesta was found to be of comparable height. Due to limitations in the data and the definition problem described below, it is difficult to determine which of the two is taller.

List

Heights are given from base to peak. Peak elevations above sea level are only available on Earth, and possibly Titan. On other worlds, peak elevations above an equipotential surface or a reference ellipsoid could be used if enough data is available for the calculation, but this is often not the case.
WorldTallest peakBase-to-peak height% of radiusOriginNotes
Caloris MontesimpactFormed by the Caloris impact
Skadi Mons tectonicHas radar-bright slopes due to metallic Venus snow, possibly lead sulfide
Maat MonsvolcanicHighest volcano on Venus
EarthMauna Kea and Mauna LoavolcanicJust of this is above sea level
EarthHaleakalavolcanicRises 3.1 km above sea level
EarthPico del TeidevolcanicRises 3.7 km above sea level
EarthDenalitectonicTallest mountain base-to-peak on land
EarthMount Everesttectonic4.6 km on north face, 3.6 km on south face; highest elevation above sea level
Mons HuygensimpactFormed by the Imbrium impact
Mons HadleyimpactFormed by the Imbrium impact
Mons RümkervolcanicLargest volcanic construct on the Moon
Olympus MonsvolcanicRises 26 km above northern plains, 1000 km away. Summit calderas are 60 x 80 km wide, up to 3.2 km deep; scarp around margin is up to 8 km high. A shield volcano, the mean flank slope is a modest 5.2 degrees.
Ascraeus MonsvolcanicTallest of the three Tharsis Montes
Elysium MonsvolcanicHighest volcano in Elysium
Arsia MonsvolcanicSummit caldera is across
Pavonis MonsvolcanicSummit caldera is deep
Anseris MonsimpactAmong the highest nonvolcanic peaks on Mars, formed by the Hellas impact
Aeolis Mons deposition and erosionFormed from deposits in Gale crater; the MSL rover has been ascending it since November 2014.
Rheasilvia central peakimpactAlmost wide. See also: List of largest craters in the Solar System
Ahuna MonscryovolcanicIsolated steep-sided dome in relatively smooth area; max. height of ~ 5 km on steepest side; roughly antipodal to largest impact basin on Ceres
Boösaule Montes "South"tectonicHas a high scarp on its SE margin
Ionian Mons east ridgetectonicHas the form of a curved double ridge
Euboea MontestectonicA NW flank landslide left a 25,000 km3 debris apron
unnamed volcanicOne of the tallest of Io's many volcanoes, with an atypical conical form
Herschel central peakimpactSee also: List of largest craters in the Solar System
Janiculum DorsatectonicSurrounding crust depressed ca. 0.3 km.
Mithrim MontestectonicMay have formed due to global contraction
Doom MonscryovolcanicAdjacent to Sotra Patera, a deep collapse feature
equatorial ridgeuncertainIndividual peaks have not been measured
unnamed impact A value of 6 km was given shortly after the Voyager 2 encounter
Tenzing Montes, peak "T2"tectonic Composed of water ice; named after Tenzing Norgay
Piccard Monscryovolcanic ~220 km across; central depression is 11 km deep
Wright Monscryovolcanic ~160 km across; summit depression ~56 km across and 4.5 km deep
Butler Monstectonic Vulcan Planitia, the southern plains, has several isolated peaks, possibly tilted crustal blocks
Dorothy central peakimpactNorth polar impact basin Dorothy, Charon's largest, is ∼240 km across and 6 km deep

Gallery

The following images are shown in order of decreasing base-to-peak height.