--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For a planet that’s roughly a third the…" description: "\"“For a planet that’s roughly a third the size of Earth, Martian geology is extreme. Olympus Mons makes Mount Everest look like a sand castle. Olympus i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/peter-cawdron-40149_grand-canyon_for-a-planet-that-s-roughly-a-third-the_1332056.jpg" --- # For a planet that’s roughly a third the size of Earth… ![“For a planet that’s roughly a third the size of Earth, Martian geology is extreme. Olympus Mons makes Mount Everest look like a sand castle. Olympus is so tall that it reaches beyond the bulk of the atmosphere. It would be a wonderful location for an astronomical observatory. If Valles Marineris…” quote by Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/peter-cawdron-40149_grand-canyon_for-a-planet-that-s-roughly-a-third-the_1332056.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/peter-cawdron-40149_grand-canyon_for-a-planet-that-s-roughly-a-third-the_1332056.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/peter-cawdron-40149_grand-canyon_for-a-planet-that-s-roughly-a-third-the_1332056.jpg) > ““For a planet that’s roughly a third the size of Earth, Martian geology is extreme. Olympus Mons makes Mount Everest look like a sand castle. Olympus is so tall that it reaches beyond the bulk of the atmosphere. It would be a wonderful location for an astronomical observatory. If Valles Marineris were on Earth, it would be as though the Grand Canyon extended from New York to Los Angeles, consuming most of the U.S. along the way.”” [Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mars has vastly larger geological features than Earth, making its mountains and canes dramatically more extreme and impressive. **In simple terms:** Mars features are huge compared to Earth. Key Takeaway Recognize the scale of planetary differences. Themes geology planetary science scale exploration Mood awe curiosity inspirational Type scientific educational inspirational When to use this quote - astronomy research - planetary missions - educational outreach - science communication Key Concepts planetary geology comparative planetology Questions to Reflect On - How do these extremes influence future Mars missions? - What challenges do they pose for human settlement? A Different Perspective Mars' extreme terrain may not directly translate to practical applications on Earth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Grand canyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grand-canyon/) [Los angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/los-angeles/) [Sand castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sand-castle/) ## Related quotes > [Eratosthenes, the mapmaker who was the first man to accurately measure the size of the Earth, was a librarian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/eratosthenes-the-mapmaker-who-was-the-first-man-to-accurately-measure/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [“To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/to-give-you-an-idea-of-the-size-of-the-earth-i-will-tell-you-that/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [If an apple was magnified to the size of the Earth, then the atoms in the apple would be approximately the size of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/if-an-apple-was-magnified-to-the-size-of-the-earth-then-the-atoms-in/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Apart from The Holiday, I haven't really spent a huge amount of time in LA. Not that I avoid it, it's just that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/apart-from-the-holiday-i-haven-t-really-spent-a-huge-amount-of-time/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [“That’s what I try to do—write sentences that won’t be like sand castles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-maxwell/that-s-what-i-try-to-do-write-sentences-that-won-t-be-like-sand/) [William Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-maxwell/) > [“Sometimes, Miki, you’ve got to stop building sand castles just to watch the ocean take them away,” Kane murmured against his cheek. “Sometimes, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-ford/sometimes-miki-you-ve-got-to-stop-building-sand-castles-just-to-watch/) [Rhys Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-ford/) > [The sand-castle virtues are all swept away in the tidal destruction, the moral melee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jethro-tull/the-sand-castle-virtues-are-all-swept-away-in-the-tidal-destruction/) [Jethro Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jethro-tull/) > [“Life is the bad with all the good. The deadly sharks with the beautiful sea stars. The gigantic waves with the sand castles. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/life-is-the-bad-with-all-the-good-the-deadly-sharks-with-the/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [“I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin. Their great skill is their capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/i-guess-humans-like-to-watch-a-little-destruction-sand-castles-houses/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“Sand castles just aren't made to last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-yi-li-yeh/sand-castles-just-aren-t-made-to-last/) [Alice Yi-Li Yeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-yi-li-yeh/) > [“We all behave like Maxwell’s demon. Organisms organize. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/and-then-i-cried-a-flood-of-tears-as-if-i-really-were-a-mermaid-who/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [You build a thousand castles, a thousand sanctuaries, you are nothing; you build a library, you are everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-build-a-thousand-castles-a-thousand-sanctuaries-you-are-nothing/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) ## More by Peter Cawdron > [“In Africa, we have a saying,” Alile said. “To get lost is to learn the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cawdron/in-africa-we-have-a-saying-alile-said-to-get-lost-is-to-learn-the-way/) [Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) > [“Freedom is the ability to think, the ability to choose. Freedom is the ability to direct, to move your life where you decide, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cawdron/freedom-is-the-ability-to-think-the-ability-to-choose-freedom-is-the/) [Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) > [“With hope and fear as equal possibilities, why not choose the positive?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cawdron/with-hope-and-fear-as-equal-possibilities-why-not-choose-the-positive/) [Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) > [“Your granddad, your grandmother, your mom and dad, your brothers and sisters. There’s nothing more valuable than them. There’s no dollar figure you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cawdron/your-granddad-your-grandmother-your-mom-and-dad-your-brothers-and/) [Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) > [“Life should never end that way. Life is too precious. 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Everyone loves dolphins, right?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cawdron/there-s-little-in-the-way-of-common-ground-between-us-and-other/) [Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) > [“There was nothing to fear. Her fear was of the unknown, it was irrational.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cawdron/there-was-nothing-to-fear-her-fear-was-of-the-unknown-it-was/) [Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) > [“Oh, the dishes they cook probably don’t taste as good as they make out anyway. The way the judges carried on last night, you’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cawdron/oh-the-dishes-they-cook-probably-don-t-taste-as-good-as-they-make-out/) [Peter Cawdron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) [Explore all 11 Peter Cawdron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cawdron/) ## More Earth quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Then all this earth shines like one house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/then-all-this-earth-shines-like-one-house/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/) [Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/) > [Cities are 2% of the earth's crust, but they are 50% of the world's population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-ratti/cities-are-2-of-the-earth-s-crust-but-they-are-50-of-the-world-s/) [Carlo Ratti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-ratti/) > [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. Everything was in its place -- the tree, the earth underneath, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/this-at-last-was-where-things-were-as-they-ought-to-be-everything-was/) [Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [What did you do to save the world today?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie/what-did-you-do-to-save-the-world-today/) [Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie/) [Browse all 15,455 Earth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For a planet that’s roughly a third the size of Earth, Martian geology is extreme. Olympus Mons makes Mount Everest look like a sand castle. Olympus is so tall that it reaches beyond the bulk of the atmosphere. It would be a wonderful location for an astronomical observatory. 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