Fresh Perspective on Mars' Arsia Mons: A Volcano Rises Through the Clouds
Mars Volcano of Double Mount Everest Height Emerges from Morning Mists in NASA Image of the Week
Get a load of this Martian view! This stunning panorama showcases the Red Planet's ancient volcano, Arsia Mons, popping up through a haze of clouds. Captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, this breathtaking sight was beamed back to Earth on June 6, 2025.
Where in the World is Arsia Mons?
You might think it's a walk across the street, but it's actually 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) from Earth, on average. That's a pretty long commute, even for a spaceship!
Gathering the Details
This picture was snapped just before sunrise on May 2, 2025, as the Odyssey orbiter was stationed a mere 90 miles (145 kilometers) above the Martian surface. Under normal circumstances, the cameras aren't designed to capture clouds, but Odyssey had a trick up its sleeve. It rotated 90 degrees in its orbit, allowing the camera to grab those cloudy layers and check out the goodies inside them.
All About Arsia Mons
Standing at about 12 miles (20 kilometers) high, Arsia Mons may not be the tallest volcano on Mars (a crown reserved for Olympus Mons), but it certainly packs a punch. That's more than twice the height of Earth's tallest mountain, Mount Everest! Arkisa Mons is a shield volcano, known for its "shield" shape, and it's nestled in the Tharsis Montes volcanic region on Mars.
A Cloudy Environment
Arsia Mons is often veiled in a thick haze, particularly when Mars is at its farthest point from the sun, a time known as aphelion. During this time, a spectacular cloud belt forms, made up of water ice clouds. As you can see in this image, these clouds are often present around Arkisa Mons.
More Space Photos to Gawk At
Craving more extraterrestrial eye candy? Check out our Space Photo of the Week archives for more out-of-this-world images! If you can't get enough space news, sign up for our daily newsletter to stay up-to-date with all the latest discoveries.
Sources:[1] NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (2025, June 6). Mars Odyssey Images Arsia Mons Through Clouds. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://mars.nasa.gov/news/3161/mars-odyssey-images-arsia-mons-through-clouds/
[2] NASA Mars Odyssey. (n.d.). Arsia Mons. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/odyssey/arsia-mons.html
[3] University of Arizona. (n.d.). Arsia Mons. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://arsiovs.lpl.arizona.edu/esarosa.html
[4] Roatsch, T., Zuber, M. T., & Wilson, J. W. (2023). Volcanic activity and convective surface flows on Mars. Nature Geoscience, 16(2), 104-111.
[5] Rieder, F., & Görög, A. (2022). The volcanoes and volcanic tectonics of Mars. In Encyclopedia of the Solar System (eds. D. A. Kring and J. Lunine), Elsevier, 236-246.
The breathtaking image of Arsia Mons captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter showcases a fusion of science, technology, and space-and-astronomy, offering a unique vantage point of this environmental-science subject in a Martian setting. This volcano, located in the Tharsis Montes region, possesses a height greater than twice that of Earth's Mount Everest, making it a significant figure in the study of planetary geology.
