Mars Rock Auction

In an extraordinary event for both the scientific community and collectors alike, Sotheby's auction house in New York is set to offer what is purported to be the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth. This remarkable Martian meteorite, designated as NWA 16788, weighs an impressive 54 pounds (25 kilograms) and carries an estimated auction price of $2 million to $4 million.

The journey of this celestial artifact is nothing short of astounding. Scientists believe it was violently ejected from the Martian surface by a colossal asteroid impact, subsequently traversing 140 million miles through the vacuum of space before its final descent to Earth. The meteorite's terrestrial journey concluded in the Sahara, where it was discovered by a meteorite hunter in Niger in November 2023.

What sets this Martian remnant apart is not just its size, but also its rarity. Of the more than 77,000 officially recognized meteorites on Earth, a mere 400 originate from Mars. This particular specimen represents nearly 7% of all known Martian material on our planet, underscoring its significance to both scientific research and private collections.

The auction, part of Sotheby's Geek Week 2025, also features other notable items, including a juvenile Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton. However, it's the Martian meteorite that stands as the crown jewel of this sale, offering a tangible connection to the mysterious Red Planet and potentially providing invaluable insights into Mars' geological history.