A massive 54-pound Martian meteorite, known as NWA 16788, sold for $5.3 million at a Sotheby’s New York auction on Wednesday. Weighing over 24 kilograms and measuring around 70% larger than the next biggest piece of Mars ever found on Earth, this is an extraordinary discovery that provides a tangible connection to our celestial neighbor.
Found in November 2023 in Niger’s Agadez region, NWA 16788 is incredibly rare, with only around 400 Martian meteorites having been discovered on Earth. Analysis reveals it was blasted into space by a powerful asteroid impact and features a glassy crust formed as it hurtled through the atmosphere.
While some have expressed concern over the meteorite being auctioned off instead of donated to science, planetary scientist Julia Cartwright notes that this drives scientific discovery. A reference sample from NWA 16788 has been saved at China’s Purple Mountain Observatory.
This remarkable find has sparked debate about the role of collectors and scientists in space exploration. However, with a significant portion of the sale price set aside for scientific research, the potential benefits of this extraordinary meteorite are likely to be preserved.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/16/science/mars-rock-auction-million-sold