Martian Meteorite Smashes Auction Record at Sotheby’s
Largest Piece of Mars on Earth Fetches $5.3 Million
A colossal fragment of Mars, weighing a remarkable 24.5 pounds, has set a new world auction record, commanding a staggering $5.3 million at Sotheby’s. This significant Martian meteorite, known as NWA 16788, represents the largest piece of the Red Planet ever discovered on Earth.
Intense Bidding War for Cosmic Treasure
The sale on Wednesday ignited a fierce 15-minute bidding war, engaging participants both online and via telephone. The meteorite’s extraordinary provenance and size clearly captivated potential buyers, leading to a dramatic competition for ownership.
“This meteorite that detached itself from the Martian surface is amazing.”
—Cassandra Hatton, Vice President and World Director of Science and Natural History at Sotheby’s
The cosmic traveler was discovered in November 2023 by a meteorite hunter in the desolate Sahara Desert, within Niger’s Aguidir region. Its initial detection hinted at its unique nature, with those present sensing its special significance.
Unveiling a Martian Giant
“The people who were there already knew that it was something special,” Cassandra Hatton explained. “Only when it arrived at the lab and the pieces were tested do we realize: ‘My God is Martian.’ And then, when the results arrived and we made comparisons, we saw: ‘Not only is it Martian, it is the largest piece of Mars on the planet.’”
Scientists estimate that about five million years ago, a powerful impact on Mars ejected rocks and debris into space. This particular fragment embarked on a vast journey of approximately 140 million kilometers through the cosmos before successfully penetrating Earth’s atmosphere.
“It is amazing that it managed to survive and then land in the middle of the desert instead of the ocean, in a place where we could find it, and that someone could recognize what had been found,” Hatton continued. “There was a series of events that had to happen for this to come to fruition.”
Unique Martian Features
Resembling its home planet, the NWA 16788 exhibits a distinct reddish hue. Its surface also bears marks of crustal fusion, a testament to the violent atmospheric entry it endured upon reaching Earth.
With an estimated 400 Martian meteorites officially cataloged on Earth, the NWA 16788 stands as the undisputed largest specimen among them. For comparison, the rare lunar meteorite found in the Moroccan desert in 2021, which is significantly smaller, sold for around $85,000.
