Record Mars Meteorite Fetches $4.3 Million at Sotheby's Auction

A meteorite originating from Mars labeled as the largest ever discovered on Earth has been auctioned off for an astounding $4.3 million.

In a remarkable event at Sotheby's in New York, a remarkable meteorite featuring Martian origins was sold for $4.3 million, making it the most expensive piece of Mars ever to be found on Earth. Weighing 54 pounds (24.5 kg) and nearly 15 inches in length, the meteorite, officially designated as NWA 16788, was located in a desolate region of Niger in November 2023. Notably, it exceeds the size of the next largest known Martian meteorite by 70%, as stated by Sotheby's.

Meteorites are fragments of space rock that survive the passage through Earth’s atmosphere following collisions with comets or asteroids. The auction house termed the item "unbelievably rare," noting that fewer than 400 Martian meteorites have been located on Earth. "This is the largest piece of Mars on planet Earth, and 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, in a video shared online. She emphasized the striking reality that approximately 70% of Earth's surface is covered by water, highlighting the fortune that this meteorite landed on solid ground rather than in the ocean.

While the final destination of the meteorite remains a mystery, as details of the buyer and the sale are private, Sotheby's reported that added taxes and fees suffused the overall cost to about $5.3 million. The auction, which displayed over 100 items, included notable pieces such as a Ceratosaurus skeleton that brought in $26 million and a Pachycephalosaurus skull that sold for $1.4 million, all underscoring the allure of rare natural history artifacts at auction.