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.
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