A massive 54-pound Martian meteorite, named NWA 16788, is set to be sold at a Sotheby’s auction later this month, with an expected price tag of between $2 million and $4 million. The specimen, discovered in Niger’s Sahara Desert in November 2023, is believed to be the largest piece of Mars currently on Earth.
The meteorite has a striking red hue and features a glassy fusion crust, which scientists say was created by an asteroid impact that blasted it from the Martian surface. With only about 400 recognized Martian meteorites out of approximately 77,000 officially acknowledged meteors on Earth, NWA 16788 is a rare find.
The sale will not only fetch a significant price for the meteorite but also mark a milestone in the history of space exploration. Sotheby’s estimates that it accounts for about 6.59% of all Martian material found on Earth, with the combined weight of recognized Martian meteorites totaling around 825 pounds.
To put this into perspective, only 15 meteorites are discovered in North America each year, according to Sotheby’s. The sale is expected to surpass the previous record held by a 2000 China-born Fukang meteorite, which was valued at around $2 million but failed to sell in 2008.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/07/02/largest-piece-of-mars-on-earth-goes-up-for-auction-this-month-its-expected-to-break-sale-records