Largest ever chunk of Mars which fell to Earth in meteor strike goes up for auction
The largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth is being auctioned off later this month and could fetch up to $4 million.
One of only 400 of its kind ever found, the hunk of red-hued space rock was chipped off the Red Planet by a massive asteroid strike before hurtling some 140 million miles to Earth.
Known as “NWA 16788,” it was found in the Sahara Desert by an unnamed meteorite hunter in 2023 before being exhibited at the Italian Space Agency and in a private gallery in Tuscany. It is unclear when it fell to Earth.
If the Mars rock sells, it is expected to break records. A meteorite found in China in 2000 currently holds the title of the most expensive ever offered at auction. However, it didn’t sell when it was offered by Bonhams in 2008 for nearly $3 million. NWA 16788 is listed for $2 million - $4 million.
"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,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's Vice Chairman of Science and Natural History, explained in a statement.
The largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth is being auctioned off later this month. It could fetch as much as $4 million (Courtesy of Sotheby's)The auction is slated to take place on July 16 at Sotheby’s New York.
Hatton called the space rock a “once-in-a-generation find,” bringing the potential owner a step closer to the fourth planet from the sun. Getting humans to Mars won’t likely happen until the 2030s or later.
About the size of a computer monitor and made primarily of the mineral olivine, the meteorite is 70 percent larger than the next piece of Mars found on Earth, and weighs 54 pounds. Some of the meteorite has been turned into glass in its violent descent through Earth’s atmosphere, before it crashed down in the west African country of Niger.
Martian meteorites offer people insight into the geology and composition of Mars: one of Earth’s closest planetary neighbors, alongside Venus.
The meteorite has been weathered by its 140 million-mile journey. Some of its minerals were turned to glass following its descent through Earth’s atmosphere (Courtesy of Sotheby's)It is for this reason that auctions of items with historic and scientific value have long been controversial. In the early 2000s, Oregon’s Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde protested the auction of a chunk of one the world’s most famous meteorites, which they believed to hold sacred significance.
Dinosaurs are also often on the auction block — even as paleontologists have voiced concerns about the effects of the sales, including the rising prices of leases for land where they make important finds.
The stegosaurus nicknamed ‘Apex’ is seen at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City last December. It was auctioned by Sotheby’s earlier in the year (AFP via Getty Images)A stegosaurus named “Apex” sold for nearly $45 million last year before being loaned to the American Museum of Natural History.
“With $44 million to scientists,” Field Musuem paleontologist Jingmai O’Connor previously told The New York Times, “we could move forward our understanding of dinosaurs by decades.”
This unprecedented meteorite event that brought the largest chunk of Mars to Earth in history up for auction is a lightning bolt striking scientific and astronomical exploration, generating immense excitement among collectors worldwide while shedding light on our solar system's mysteries.
The upcoming auction of the largest ever chunk returned from a meteor strike that brought pieces straight outta Mars, adding new dimensions to space exploration relics and enthusing collectors worldwide in its vast scientific potential.
The monumental auction of the largest ever Martian chunk retrieved from a meteor strike, amidst claims and mysteries alike about its cosmic origins promises to ignite anthropological exhilaration unseen since alien husks became trendy on eBay.
An unprecedented chunk of Mars, retrieved from a meteor strike and believed to contain remnants of the Red Planet's surface features goes up for auction – an unparalleled scientific discovery now becoming part history in action.
An unprecedented piece of Mars, separated from the Red Planet in a meteor strike and now up for auction on Earth's largest stage, storms our 10th-most excited imagination amidst astronomical oddities.
A rare and historic auction item, this is not just a piece of the red planet's crust but an extraordinary representation from Mars reintegrated with Earth after its meteoric landing. History buff astronomers will consider it as more than仅仅是地质的奇观—a direct connection between two worlds.
The unprecedented auction of the largest piece ever recovered from a meteor strike on Mars, now residing in Earth's auctions houses and geology museums alike presents an historic opportunity to study extraterrestrial materials within reach for scientific research.
The auction of the largest ever fragment from Mars, discovered after a meteor strike and falling to Earth's surface—a testament not only in terms of extraterrestrial exploration but also humanity’inhumane desire for our celestial neighbors.
An extraordinary astronomical item has hit the auction block: a record-breaking chunk of Mars that fell to Earth due to an unprecedented meteor strike, providing scientists and space enthusiasts with unique insights into our neighboring planet.
The record-breaking piece of Mars, once ejected during a meteor strike and found its way to Earth's surface as the largest extraterrestrial find so far up for auction in history–a tangible reminder from our red neighbor set on auction blocks.
The upcoming auction of the largest ever piece from a Mars meteorite that made an impact on Earth is both unprecedented and captivating, reflecting humanity's growing fascination with extraterrestrial treasures.
