US EditionMars rock found in Niger sells for millions in New York - now the country wants answers
NIGER, AUG 10 – Nigerien authorities investigate the legality of the $4.3 million auction of the largest Martian meteorite amid concerns over export and heritage protection laws.
- On July 16, 2024, Sotheby's auctioned NWA 16788, a rare Martian meteorite discovered in Niger, for $5.3 million in New York.
- The meteorite was found on November 16, 2023, in Niger's Agadez region by an unnamed hunter, sparking doubts about the export's legality and origin.
- Niger’s government expressed concerns of possible illicit trafficking and launched a formal investigation, while Sotheby's stated proper export procedures were followed.
- Professor Paul Sereno called the auction 'brazen,' insisting the meteorite rightfully belongs to Niger and emphasized respect for the country's heritage.
- This controversy highlights tensions between scientific access, cultural heritage protection, and calls for clearer regulations on meteorite trade with nations like Niger.
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Little is known about the route of NWA 16788 so far, raising questions about the legality of its export.
Martian meteorite auctioned off at $5.3 million by Sotheby’s
An “unbelievably rare” piece of Mars, the largest ever found on Earth, sold at a New York auction on Wednesday, July 16th, for a $5.3 million (approximately 4.5 million euros and 3.9 million pounds) bid. Now, Níger and experts are asking whether the sale was legal and how it was smuggled out of the country. The meteorite known as NWA 16788 weighs 54lb (24.5kg) and is nearly 15in (38.1cm) long… Source
How did the world's largest meteorite from Mars end up under the auction hammer in New York? The government of Niger is asking the question about the spectacular 25-kilogram space rock that was found in Agadez in 2023 and recently sold anonymously for over 50 million kronor.
Mars meteorite found in Niger sells for millions at New York auction as west African nation demands answers
Niger has announced that it plans to investigate the sale of the largest martian meteorite on Earth after the fragment was sold for millions of dollars at auction last month.
– Shameful! It's shameful! says paleontologist Paul Serano, about the auction at Sotheby's in New York that sold a rock from Mars that was found in Niger, West Africa, two years ago.
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