In school, millions of us memorized that Mount Everest was the most imposing and famous of all the mountains in the world. Its peak is the highest point above sea level. However, Everest is not the highest on the planet, if you measure the height not from sea level, but from base to peak. The record belongs to Mount Mauna Kea (Hawaii).

This is an extinct volcano. More than half of it is submerged in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. It is 33,497 feet (10,211 m) from the base to the peak. It is a great deal taller than Everest, which is almost 5.5 miles (8.8 kilometers) tall. Mauna Kea is also known as the world’s largest observatory equipped for infrared, optical, and submillimeter astronomy.

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