The World's Highest Mountains

  • Released Tuesday, April 29th, 2014
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:50PM
  • ID: 11478

Fourteen mountain peaks stand taller than 8,000 meters (26,247 feet). There could have been many more of these “eight-thousanders” if, in 1793, the French commission that established the length of the meter had made it just a bit shorter. Yet the decision to make a meter equivalent to one ten-millionth of the distance between the equator and the North Pole left the world with only this handful. All of them are found in either the Karakoram or Himalayan mountain ranges of central Asia. Ground photography of the towering peaks is ubiquitous, but images captured by NASA’s EO-1 satellite offer a less familiar perspective. The sensor on EO-1 looked directly down on the mountains, providing a view of the very tip of each summit. Check out the images to see the world's five highest peaks from orbit.

Explore incredible views of Earth's tallest peaks taken by satellite.

Explore incredible views of Earth's tallest peaks taken by satellite.

Glaciers have chiseled Everest’s summit into a huge, triangular pyramid defined by three major faces and ridges.

Glaciers have chiseled Everest’s summit into a huge, triangular pyramid defined by three major faces and ridges.

K2’s modern nickname is “Savage Mountain” because of the extreme risks it poses to climbers—frequent avalanches and harsh weather.

K2’s modern nickname is “Savage Mountain” because of the extreme risks it poses to climbers—frequent avalanches and harsh weather.

Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world, is the most easterly of the eight-thousanders.

Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world, is the most easterly of the eight-thousanders.

Despite being the fourth highest mountain in the world, Lhotse is often overshadowed by its neighbor, Mount Everest.

Despite being the fourth highest mountain in the world, Lhotse is often overshadowed by its neighbor, Mount Everest.

Makalu’s classic pyramid shape is the product of bowl-shaped cirque glaciers grinding away at the summit on all sides.

Makalu’s classic pyramid shape is the product of bowl-shaped cirque glaciers grinding away at the summit on all sides.

The tallest mountains in the world are located in the Himalayas or Karakoram mountain range.

The tallest mountains in the world are located in the Himalayas or Karakoram mountain range.

For More Information

See NASA Earth Observatory

App

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Earth Observatory
Cover image courtesy of NASA/JSC
Satellite images courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon