Volcanoes give rise to some of the world’s most fascinating and violent features, destructive power, and creativity. However, the activity of volcanoes is not limited to our planet, and the celestial volcanoes are commonly found on other planets and moons.
The moon and Mars are rich in evidence of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions within our solar system, while some bodies have icebergs that spew out ice in their glaciers.
VOLCANOES ON THE MOON
Now because of a volcano, the moon’s surface once had a spectacular eruption that caused lava flow some 450 miles [750 km] from its source, according to the University of San Diego.
China’s latest spacecraft – the Change-5 lander – has returned mud that appears to indicate that the Earth’s primary natural satellite has erupted more recently than previously thought.
A sample collected from Oceanus Procellarum on the far side of the moon, previously associated with recent volcanic activity, elevates volcanoes more than two billion years ago, a full billion years later than previous estimates.
VOLCANOES EMRS
Outside the Earth, the human planet has deeply studied the geology of Mars. This has led to the discovery that Red Planet handles volcanic features beyond our world, according to Arizona State University (opens in a new tab).
Foremost among them is Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, twice the height of Mount Everest, and dozens of other significant volcanoes surround it.
In addition to this, other Mars volcanoes include Elysium, Syrtis Major, and a group of low-lying volcanic structures near the Hellas site. This valley is the lowest spot on Mars and the third or fourth-largest crater known in the solar system.
Mars appears to be inactive due to the volcano, but when this happens, there are astronomers still trying to find it.
The volcanoes at Tharsis – the site of Olympus Mons – show a few craters with an asteroid impact, meaning they may be a few million years old, which is small in terms of geological conditions.
Mars was very active in its youth, explosive as it grew. According to the National Air and Space Museum, the planet has no active volcanoes, and much of the heat stored inside the Earth seems to have been lost.
