Mars rock, largest found on Earth, sells for $4.3 million
A Mars rock, the largest ever found on Earth, has sold at an auction in New York for $4.3 million (£3.2 million). The meteorite, labelled NWA 16788, weighs 54lb (24.5kg), and measures nearly 15 in (38.1cm) in length, according to Sotheby’s. The Mars rock was discovered in a remote region of Niger in November 2023. Compared to the next largest piece of Mars that has been recovered, it is 70% larger.
The auction house describes the reddish-brown rock as “unbelievably rare. Only 400 have Martian meteorites have ever been found on Earth.
“This is the largest piece of Mars on planet Earth. The odds of this getting from there to here are astronomically small,” vice-chairman of science and natural history at Sotheby’s, Cassandra Hatton, said in a video posted online. “Remember that approximately 70% of Earth’s surface is covered in water. So we’re incredibly lucky that this landed on dry land instead of the middle of the ocean where we could actually find it.”
It is not yet known where the Mars rock will end up due to the details about the sale being kept private. With additional taxes and fees, the total cost of the rock is $5.3 million, Sotheby’s has said.
The auction on Wednesday 16th July included over 100 items. Among them include dinosaur skeletons, a Ceratosaurus skeleton from the late Jurassic which sold for $26 million, and a Pachycephalosaurus skull that went for $1.4 million.
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