New Images of the Asteroid Vesta Reveal Massive Mountain
jonathanturley
I have long declined to climb Mt. Everest and now my decision has been vindicated. It turns out that Mt. Everest is a mere ant hill in comparison to the peak on the asteroid Vesta. NASA’s Dawn probe captured the image of the mountain which not only dwarfs Mt. Everest but almost ties the shield volcano Olympus Mons on Mars — which still holds the record. It turns out that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay ascended to the top of what Vestans call a foothill.
Olympus Mons rises about 15 miles (24 kilometers) above the surface. On Earth, the largest terrestrial volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii, which rises up 6 miles (9 km) while Mount Everest, the tallest mountain above sea level on Earth, rises 5.5 miles (8.85 km). [Latest Photos of Asteroid Vesta]
