Biggest piece of Mars on Earth sells for $5.3 million — meet the meteorite that shocked Sotheby’s

The largest piece of Mars to have ever touched down on Earth, called the NWA 16788, which is a 54-pound Martian meteorite, fetched a record-breaking $5.3 million, including taxes and commissions, after being sold to an unknown buyer at a Sotheby's auction in New York, as per a CNN report. The biggest Martian meteor was sold way above the asking price of $2 million to $4 million, according to a Live Science report.

A New Record in Meteorite Market History

Previously, the Fukang meteorite had held the title for the most expensive ever offered at auction, in 2008, a 925-pound slice of the Fukang meteorite was valued at about $2 million and put up for auction by Bonhams in New York, however, it didn’t sell, as reported by Forbes.

Why This Meteorite Is So Special

The vice chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby’s, Cassandra Hatton, highlighted that “NWA 16788 is a discovery of extraordinary significance — the largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth, and the most valuable of its kind ever offered at auction,” as quoted in the report.


Auction house Sotheby’s has revealed that NWA 16788 was discovered in November 2023 in the remote Agadez region of Niger, it is a “monumental specimen” that is almost 70% bigger than the next biggest piece of Mars ever found on Earth, as reported by CNN. This piece is also very rare, as only about 400 Martian meteorites have ever been found on Earth, according to the report.

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Hatton pointed out that, “Weathered by its journey through space and time, its immense size and unmistakable red color sets it apart as a once-in-a-generation find. This remarkable meteorite provides a tangible connection to the red planet — our celestial neighbor that has long captured the human imagination,” as quoted by CNN.

Martian meteorites, which are otherwise usually small fragments, are described as what’s left when a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid survives its passage through the earth’s atmosphere, as reported by CNN.

Scientific Value vs. Private Ownership

The fact that the rare meteorite was auctioned off rather than donated to science has led to many concers, for instance, Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh, told CNN before the sale, saying, “It would be a shame if it disappeared into the vault of an oligarch. It belongs in a museum, where it can be studied, and where it can be enjoyed by children and families and the public at large,” as quoted in the report.

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FAQs

What makes it different from other meteorites?
Besides its massive size, NWA 16788 has a red hue and likely contains Martian material turned to glass by intense heat.

How rare is this kind of meteorite?
Extremely rare. Only around 400 Martian meteorites have ever been found, and most are tiny. This one is the biggest ever recorded.