A 54-pound piece of Mars is going up for auction in New York City, estimated to fetch between $2 million and $4 million. The meteorite, known as NWA 16788, is the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth and represents nearly 7% of all Martian material currently on our planet.
Found in Niger in November 2023, the meteorite was believed to have been blown off Mars by a massive asteroid strike before traveling 140 million miles to crash into the Sahara. The red, brown, and gray hunk is about 70% larger than the next largest piece of Mars found on Earth.
Sotheby’s, which is auctioning off the meteorite as part of its Geek Week 2025 sale, says it is a rare find, with only 400 Martian meteorites out of over 77,000 officially recognized meteorites found on Earth. The examination of a small piece of the meteorite confirmed its Martian origin, comparing it to the distinct chemical composition of Martian meteorites discovered during the Viking space probe.
The meteorite’s glassy surface is likely due to high heat that burned it when it fell through Earth’s atmosphere. It has been previously exhibited at the Italian Space Agency in Rome and is now being sold without disclosing its owner. The sale is part of Sotheby’s Geek Week 2025, which features 122 items, including other meteorites, fossils, and gem-quality minerals.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-07-biggest-piece-mars-earth-auction.html