A piece of rock believed to be the largest piece of Mars on Earth has sold for $5.3 million at a geological and archaeological auction in New York on Wednesday.
The Martian meteorite, which represents nearly 7% of all Martian material on Earth is called NWA 16788 and weighs 25 kilograms. It is also 70% larger than the second-largest Martian fragment found on Earth.
While the final bid for the meteorite was $4.3 million, the total price, including fees, reached $5.3 million, the auction house Sotheby’s said, adding that the buyer’s identity was not immediately disclosed.
Described by the auction house as an “unbelievably rare” reddish-brown rock, the meteorite is one of only about 400 Martian meteorites ever discovered on Earth.
According to Sotheby's it was ejected from the martian surface by a massive asteroid strike and then journeyed some 225 million kilometres (140 million miles) through space towards Earth's atmosphere. It then crashed in the Sahara desert.
It was then discovered in Niger’s remote Agadez Region in November 2023 by a meterorite hunter.
Information from the sale remains private so it's unclear where the rock will end up next.
During President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Washington, officials from Azerbaijan and the United States discussed expanding economic collaboration and ...
President Ilham Aliyev’s meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will be held at the White House today...
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated in an interview published on Friday that he has no intention of seeking another term in office and di...
Nikol Pashinyan and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff discussed strengthening Armenia-U.S. strategic relations ahead of planned trilateral meetings at the Whit...
China’s President Xi Jinping told Russian leader Vladimir Putin that Beijing will continue promoting peace talks on Ukraine, regardless of how the s...
During President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Washington, officials from Azerbaijan and the United States discussed expanding economic collaboration and boosting strategic innovation partnerships.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated in an interview published on Friday that he has no intention of seeking another term in office and dismissed claims that he is preparing his son to take over leadership.
Drone attacks continue to haunt communities around Kyiv. Overnight, Russian forces launched another wave of drones at the Kyiv region, hitting the Bucha district. Fires broke out and several homes were damaged. Local authorities say three women, aged 16, 56, and 80, were injured.
The residents of Pingtou, a small village in China's southern Guangdong province, are grappling with the worst floods in living memory. While the region is accustomed to typhoons and seasonal downpours, this week’s flooding has shocked even the oldest villagers.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
Chinese automaker Chery has denied an industry-ministry audit that disqualified more than $53 million in state incentives for thousands of its electric and hybrid vehicles, insisting it followed official guidance and committed no fraud.
A rare first edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 'The Hobbit' has sold for £43,000 at a UK auction after being discovered in a Bristol home.
OpenAI’s GPT-5 model is nearing release, with early testers praising its coding and problem-solving skills, though experts say the leap from GPT-4 may be smaller than previous upgrades.
The Princess of Wales has launched a series of animated films on YouTube aimed at supporting children's emotional and social development. The project, developed by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, is designed for use by charities, families, and early years education professionals.
Two Zara advertisements have been banned in the UK after regulators ruled they promoted an irresponsible body image by featuring models who appeared excessively thin, according to Euronews.
Remember when the metaverse was going to change everything? In 2021, tech giants raced to build virtual worlds, and Facebook even changed its name to 'Meta.' Now, in 2025, the headlines have gone silent. What happened to the metaverse, and is there still a future for it?
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment