A rare 54-pound Martian meteorite, known as NWA 16788, is going under the hammer at Sotheby’s New York on Wednesday. It’s expected to fetch between $2 million and $4 million, according to a report published by The Associated Press on Sunday.
2. It’s the Largest Martian Rock Ever Found on Earth
This Martian meteorite is the largest piece of Mars “ever found by a long shot,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s vice chairman for science and natural history, told the US-based publication. Measuring nearly 15 x 11 x 6 inches, it’s 70% larger than the next biggest known Martian fragment, the report said.
3. How Did It Get Here?
Scientists believe the rock was blasted off Mars by a powerful asteroid impact. It then travelled an estimated 140 million miles through space before landing in the Sahara Desert, where a meteorite hunter discovered it in Niger in November 2023, as reported by The Associated Press.
4. A Martian Marvel Heads to Auction
According to the report, a small sample was sent to a lab, where its chemical signature matched known Martian rocks, per the data available from NASA’s Viking landers (1976). Tests confirmed it as an olivine-microgabbroic shergottite, a Martian rock formed by slowly cooled magma.
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5. Texture and Appearance Offer Clues
The meteorite has a coarse-grained texture with olivine and pyroxene minerals, with its glassy surface pointing to the intense heat it endured while entering Earth’s atmosphere. “That was their first clue that this wasn’t just some big rock on the ground,” Hatton said, according to the AP.
A 54-pound Martian meteorite — the largest known piece of Mars ever found on Earth — has landed at #SothebysNewYork.
How did it get here? Find out from @the_lynx_eyed.
The Natural History Live Auction takes place 16 July at 10:00 AM ET. https://t.co/7rZVChTFmY pic.twitter.com/W3zqEbAG1H
— Sotheby’s (@Sothebys) July 11, 2025
6. It’s a Rare Specimen
Out of over 77,000 recognised meteorites found on Earth, only 400 are from Mars, Sotheby’s has said. This single rock accounts for nearly seven percent of all Martian material ever discovered on Earth.
7. Was It Previously Displayed Somewhere?
Before heading to auction, the meteorite was exhibited at the Italian Space Agency in Rome, the AP reported. However, its current owner has not been publicly identified.
8. When Did It Fall?
There’s no precise date available for the meteorite’s arrival on Earth, but testing suggests it landed within the past few years, according to Sotheby’s.
9. A Dinosaur Skeleton Joins the Auction
Also featured at the auction is a juvenile Ceratosaurus skeleton, about 11-feet long, discovered in Wyoming in 1996, the report said. It’s estimated to sell for $4-$6 million and has been carefully reconstructed using 140 fossil bones.
10. What Is Sotheby’s Geek Week?
The meteorite and dinosaur auctions are part of Sotheby’s Geek Week 2025, showcasing 122 items, including rare fossils, meteorites, and gem-quality minerals.
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