Largest piece of Mars on Earth could go for millions at auction

By Dean Murray

An otherworldly piece of rock could fetch $4 million (£2.9m) at auction.

Meteorite NWA 16788 is the largest known piece of Mars on Earth, weighing 54 pounds (24.67 kg).

Discovered on November 16, 2023 by a meteorite hunter in Niger’s remote Agadez region, the specimen is approximately 70% larger than any other Martian fragment known today.

Featuring an unmistakable Martian red hue, NWA 16788’s internal composition suggests it was blasted from the surface of the Red Planet by a powerful asteroid impact—an event so intense that it turned some of the meteorite’s minerals into glass.

Areas of glassy fusion crust also appear on the meteorite’s surface, evidence of its rapid and violent descent through Earth’s atmosphere to its eventual landing place in the Sahara Desert.

Estimated at $2 - 4 million, it is to be offered during Sotheby’s Natural History sale in New York on 16 July, and could become the most valuable meteorite ever offered at auction.

Sotheby's said: "Far more elusive than diamonds, meteorites are very rarely found, with North America seeing an average of only about 15 discoveries per year, mostly in arid regions where even experienced hunters can go years without success.

"Pieces of Mars are unbelievably rare: of the more than 77,000 officially recognised meteorites, only 400 are Martian meteorites, and many often consist of only a few scarce fragments."