A massive and exceptionally rare Martian meteorite has been sold for a staggering $5.3 million at Sotheby’s auction in New York, setting a new record as the largest piece of Mars ever discovered on Earth. Known as NWA 16788, the meteorite weighs 54 pounds (24.5 kilograms) and measures nearly 15 inches (38.1 cm) in length, dwarfing all previously recovered fragments from the Red Planet.
Discovered in a remote part of Niger in November 2023, this Martian rock is approximately 70% larger than the next largest known Mars-origin meteorite. According to Sotheby’s, only around 400 Martian meteorites have ever been found globally, making this find extraordinarily significant in both scientific and collector circles.
Meteorites like NWA 16788 are remnants of rock ejected from planetary bodies, like Mars after being struck by asteroids or comets. They eventually enter Earth’s atmosphere, surviving a fiery descent to become treasures of planetary science.
“This is the largest piece of Mars on planet Earth. The odds of this getting from there to here are astronomically small,” said Cassandra Hatton, vice-chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby’s. She noted the meteorite’s survival and discovery on dry land was a stroke of luck, given that 70% of Earth is covered by water.
The final sale price of $5.3 million includes additional taxes and fees, though the identity of the buyer remains undisclosed due to the private nature of the transaction.
The Sotheby’s auction featured more than 100 rare items from natural history. Among them, a Ceratosaurus skeleton from the late Jurassic era fetched $26 million, while the fossilized skull of a Pachycephalosaurus went for $1.4 million, underscoring the growing global demand for rare prehistoric and extraterrestrial collectibles.
The sale of NWA 16788 marks a major milestone in planetary science and private collection history, with experts calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime” acquisition.
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