Would you like to own a piece of Mars? A meteorite from the neighboring planet was just sold for over $5 million
A huge chunk of Mars has been sold at auction for millions of dollars.
In an auction that felt straight out of a sci‑fi novel, Sotheby’s sold what may be the most fascinating piece of extraterrestrial history ever seen by human eyes: a 54‑pound Martian meteorite known as Northwest Africa (NWA) 16788.
Unearthed in November 2023 from the sands of Niger’s Sahara by an anonymous meteorite hunter, this specimen blew past the previous record-holder in terms of size, measuring in at a staggering 70% larger than any other known Martian meteorite on Earth.
The first bid set off an intense 15-minute showdown between online and phone bidders for the rock, which is roughly twice the size of a basketball. In the end, it managed to fetch a staggering $5.29 million, a world away from its $2–4 million pre‑sale estimate. The identity of the buyer was not made public by Sotheby’s.
Scientists know of ‘fewer than 400 Martian meteorites’
“NWA 16788 is a geological time capsule from another world,” Sotheby’s listing said. “With fewer than 400 Martian meteorites ever recorded, and most no larger than a pebble, this specimen offers the biggest tangible connection to a planet that has captivated humanity for centuries.”
Martian meteorites, simply put, are chunks of the surface that were flung out into the cosmos thanks to asteroids and comets colliding into the planet. LiveScience writes that “most of these fragments have likely drifted in space for millions, if not billions, of years before eventually falling to Earth.”
Earthlings are currently ‘present’ on the Red Planet, just not in human form. NASA’s Perseverance Rover is currently carrying out vital research on the surface of Mars, making sure to take home as many samples as it can fit.
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The very same Sotheby’s auction, which saw more than 100 other items put up for sale, also included a juvenile Ceratosaurus skeleton, estimated to be between 54 and 149 million-years-old. Consisting of 139 original fossil bone elements, the auction website said in the listing that “the skeleton boasts a superb virtually complete skull” and an “incredible 43 teeth present.”
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