A 54-pound, or 24.5-kilogram, chunk of Mars, the largest piece of the Red Planet ever found on Earth sold for $4.3 million at Sotheby’s auction Wednesday. With fees, the final price reached $5.3 million.
The meteorite is named NWA 16788 and was discovered in Niger in November 2023. Measuring 15 inches or 38 centimeters in length, it is about 70 percent larger than the previous record-holder. Only around 400 Martian meteorites have ever been recovered on Earth. Sotheby’s called its odds of survival astronomically small, since most space rocks end up landing in oceans.
Its value comes down to a few key factors. Scientifically, it offers rare insight into Mars’ geology and the potential for past life. Its rarity boosts its appeal, as there are few Martian meteorites in existence and none this massive. Its cosmic journey – from ejection off the Martian surface to surviving space travel and atmospheric entry – adds to the awe.
Other highlights from the auction included the skeleton of a Ceratosaurus from the Late Jurassic period, which fetched $26 million. The skull of a dome-headed dinosaur, the Pachycephalosaurus, sold for $1.4 million.
