What’s the story
The world’s biggest piece of Mars on Earth, a meteorite named NWA 16788, is set to go under the hammer later this month.
Weighing a whopping 24kg, the space rock is expected to fetch as much as $4 million at auction house Sotheby’s.
Discovered in November 2023 in Niger’s remote Agadez region, NWA 16788 is much larger than most Martian meteorites, which are usually small fragments.
Meteorite details
Only about 400 Martian meteorites have been discovered on Earth
Sotheby’s has described NWA 16788 as a “monumental specimen,” nearly 70% bigger than the second-largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth.
The rarity of this meteorite is also worth noting; only about 400 Martian meteorites have been discovered on our planet.
Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Vice Chairman of Science and Natural History, called it a discovery of extraordinary significance.
Meteorite journey
Blasted off the Martian surface by an asteroid impact
The internal analysis of NWA 16788 suggests that it was blasted off the Martian surface by an asteroid impact.
This event was so violent that it turned parts of the meteorite into glass.
A glassy crust can also be seen on its surface, formed as it hurtled through Earth’s atmosphere, according to Sotheby’s.
Auction details
Auction on July 16 amid opposition from scientific community
The auction for NWA 16788 will take place at Sotheby’s New York on July 16.
However, some experts have expressed concerns over the sale of this rare specimen instead of donating it to science.
Steve Brusatte, a paleontology and evolution professor at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh, said it would be a shame if the meteorite ended up in an oligarch’s vault instead of being displayed in a museum for public study and enjoyment.