US EditionLargest Piece of Mars on Earth Could Go for Millions at Auction
NIGER, JUL 2 – NWA 16788, 70% larger than any other Martian fragment, weighs 54 pounds and represents 6.5% of all known Martian meteorite material on Earth, attracting global collectors' interest.
- The biggest Martian meteorite discovered to date on our planet, known as NWA 16788, will be sold at auction by Sotheby's in New York on July 16.
- NWA 16788 was discovered in November 2023 by a meteorite hunter in the Sahara Desert's Agadez region of Niger after being ejected from Mars by an ancient asteroid impact.
- This rare 54-pound rock comprises more than 6% of all Martian meteorite mass on Earth and will be publicly displayed at Sotheby’s before auction.
- Sotheby's estimates a sale price between $2 million and $4 million, with Vice Chairman Cassandra Hatton calling it a 'once-in-a-generation find' of extraordinary significance.
- If sold within this range, NWA 16788 could become the most valuable meteorite auctioned, raising concerns over scientific access and private ownership limiting research opportunities.
49 Articles
49 Articles
A meteorite coming from Mars will be auctioned this month by the Sotheby’s house, with an estimated value of up to $4 million. It is the largest Martian fragment ever found on Earth, weighing 24.67 kilograms.This rock, classified as NWA-16788, exceeds in size by 70% the previous record, the Taoudenni 002 meteorite, discovered in Mali in 2021 with a weight of 14.51 kilograms.What is a meteorite and how it differs from a meteoroid and a meteorThe …
Martian meteorites are very rare, but NWA 16788 is one of the most incredible that have fallen on Earth, so the auction is going to be a record.
Daily Journal
Largest piece of Mars on Earth could go for millions at auction
Meteorite NWA 16788 is the largest known piece of Mars on Earth and weighs 54 pounds.
It flew millions of kilometers through space and landed in the Sahara. Now the largest known piece of Mars is auctioned and is expected to achieve a record price.
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