A 54lb meteorite weighing nearly 15in long, discovered in Niger’s remote region, has been sold to an anonymous buyer for a record-breaking $4.3m (£3.2m). This is the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth, surpassing the previous largest by 70%. Only about 400 Martian meteorites have been discovered globally.
The rare rock, dubbed NWA 16788, was met with excitement at Sotheby’s auction house in New York. Experts describe it as “unbelievably rare,” given its massive size and rarity. The meteorite’s journey from Niger to the buyer is shrouded in mystery due to private sale information.
Other notable items sold during the same auction included a 26m dinosaur skeleton, Ceratosaurus, for $26m and the Pachycephalosaurus skull for $1.4m.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg5z34e3e6vo