A meteorite that is the largest known piece of Mars on Earth has sold for $5.3 million, with taxes and fees, to an anonymous bidder at a Sotheby’s New York auction Wednesday.
Known as NWA 16788, the meteorite weighs 54 pounds (24.5 kilograms), massive compared with most Martian meteorites, which tend to be small fragments, auction house Sotheby’s said in a July 8 statement.
Meteorites are what’s left when a comet, asteroid or a meteoroid survives its passage through the earth’s atmosphere.
Discovered in November 2023 in the remote Agadez region of Niger, NWA 16788 is a “monumental specimen” that is around 70% larger than the next biggest piece of Mars ever found on Earth, according to Sotheby’s.
It is also incredibly rare: only around 400 Martian meteorites have ever been found on Earth.
“NWA 16788 is a discovery of extraordinary significance — the largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth, and the most valuable of its kind ever offered at auction,” Cassandra Hatton, vice chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby’s, said in the statement.
“Weathered by its journey through space and time, its immense size and unmistakable red color sets it apart as a once-in-a-generation find. This remarkable meteorite provides a tangible connection to the red planet — our celestial neighbor that has long captured the human imagination,” she added.
Analysis of the meteorite’s internal composition has revealed that it was probably removed from the Martian surface and blasted into space by an asteroid impact that was so powerful it turned parts of the meteorite into glass.
A glassy crust can also be seen on its surface, formed as it hurtled through Earth’s atmosphere, according to Sotheby’s.
Discovered in November 2023 in the remote Agadez region of Niger, NWA 16788 is a “monumental specimen” that is around 70% larger than the next biggest piece of Mars ever found on Earth, according to Sotheby’s.
It is also incredibly rare: only around 400 Martian meteorites have ever been found on Earth.
“NWA 16788 is a discovery of extraordinary significance — the largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth, and the most valuable of its kind ever offered at auction,” Cassandra Hatton, vice chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby’s, said in the statement.
Analysis of the meteorite’s internal composition has revealed that it was probably removed from the Martian surface and blasted into space by an asteroid impact that was so powerful it turned parts of the meteorite into glass.
A glassy crust can also be seen on its surface, formed as it hurtled through Earth’s atmosphere, according to Sotheby’s.
