In a stunning auction held on Wednesday at Sotheby's in New York, the largest known piece of Mars ever found on Earth sold for $4.3 million (£3.2 million). This astonishing meteorite, dubbed NWA 16788, weighs a hefty 54 pounds (24.5 kg) and stretches nearly 15 inches (38.1 cm) long. Discovered in a remote part of Niger in November 2023, it is a remarkable 70% larger than the next largest Martian meteorite on record.
Sotheby's described the reddish-brown rock as "unbelievably rare", with only about 400 Martian meteorites ever found across the globe. Cassandra Hatton, vice-chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby's, highlighted the incredible odds of such a rock landing safely on solid ground rather than the ocean, which covers roughly 70% of the Earth’s surface.
Details about the buyer and the final destination of the meteorite remain confidential. The total sale price reached $5.3 million after including additional taxes and fees. The auction featured over 100 items, and alongside this Martian treasure, a Ceratosaurus skeleton from the Jurassic period sold for an impressive $26 million, while a Pachycephalosaurus skull fetched $1.4 million.
