A rare Martian meteorite from Niger, weighing 24.7kg, recently sold for a staggering $4.3 million at Sotheby’s in New York. The auction attracted worldwide attention, but it has also raised serious legal questions from Niger’s government. Niger is now probing the circumstances of the meteorite’s export and sale, suspecting possible illicit trafficking.
While Sotheby’s maintains that all protocols were followed, academics like Prof. Paul Sereno argue that the rock should return to Niger, emphasizing that international law protects cultural heritage and should apply to extraterrestrial artifacts as well. Discovered in the Sahara Desert, the meteorite named NWA 16788 is one of less than 400 known Martian meteorites, making it incredibly valuable.
Niger worries that it may not have received any revenue from the sale, prompting an investigation into how the piece was sold without the authorities’ knowledge. There’s a striking resemblance to the challenges faced by other countries like Morocco, which has grappled with similar issues regarding meteorite sales in the past. This predicament raises essential questions about the ownership and trade of rare meteorites worldwide, as many nations struggle to protect their natural and cultural heritage from illegal exports.
