Tharsis Montes

Mars · volcanoes · giant mountains

Three giant peaks. Tharsis Montes is actually three massive shield volcanoes lined up on Mars: Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Arsia Mons, arranged from north to south like cosmic sentries.

Located on Mars. These incredible mountains are found in the Tharsis region, a vast highland area on the red planet that's famous for some of the biggest volcanoes in the entire solar system.

Shield volcano type. Shield volcanoes are the gently sloping kind that form when lava flows slowly and smoothly, creating wide, flat mountains rather than steep pointy cones.

Named in Latin. The word 'Mons' is Latin for mountain, and scientists use it as an official descriptor for all mountainous features they discover across the solar system, from Mercury to distant moons.