Earth isn’t the only place with volcanoes. Astronomers have found evidence of volcanoes on other planets and moons in our solar system, and even on exoplanets. These are planets outside our solar system that orbit other stars. Beyond Earth, we can see the inactive volcanoes that long ago carved out the landscapes of planets and moons. We can also find some active volcanoes and a different, much chillier kind of volcano.
Where is the biggest volcano in the solar system? Which celestial body is the site of the most volcanic activity in the solar system? Could all these volcanoes be a clue to where in space we might find extraterrestrial life?
Mars: Volcanic in a Big Way
Aside from Earth, Mars is the planet we know most about, geologically speaking. The mission sent a spacecraft to orbit, or volcanic craters; and, or fields of lava left over after an eruption. For a long time, scientists assumed that all these volcanoes were inactive. But in 2022, scientists studying orbital photos of Mars discovered an active volcanic formation. It meant there must be a rising plume of hot rock beneath the crust.
