The largest Martian meteorite on Earth is planned to be sold at auction for $4 million

In New York, on July 16, Sotheby’s intends to put up for sale a meteorite, which is considered the largest among all fragments of Mars ever found on Earth. Its starting price can reach 4 million dollars, informs CNN.

The meteorite, named NWA 16788, weighs 24.5 kilograms. This is much larger than the usual size of Martian debris, which is usually much smaller. The find was discovered in November 2023 in the desert region of Agadez in Niger. According to Sotheby’s, NWA 16788 is nearly 70% larger than the next largest fragment of Martian origin known to mankind.

Martian meteorites remain extremely rare — there are only about four hundred of them in the world. NWA 16788 has already been dubbed a “once-in-a-generation find.” It is distinguished by a dark red shade and unusually large dimensions.

According to scientists, the meteorite left the surface of Mars after a strong asteroid impact, as a result of which part of the Martian rock turned into glass. When the debris passed through the Earth’s atmosphere, a glassy shell formed on its surface.

However, the sale of such a unique specimen to a private person is controversial. Steve Brusatt, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, is convinced that such objects should be preserved in museums and be accessible to the public.

“This is what the public should see,” he emphasized.

At the same time, Julia Cartwright, a planetary scientist from the University of Leicester, believes that the meteorite market has a positive effect: thanks to it, scientists get more samples for analysis. According to her, there is a “symbiosis” between scientists and collectors, in which the former get access to valuable materials, and the latter support research activities financially. She also emphasized that the reference sample NWA 16788 has already been transferred to China’s Violet Mountain Observatory.

Even if the new owner does not display the meteorite for viewing, scientists will continue to show interest in it.

“This stone can still tell a lot”, Cartwright summed up.

For comparison: in 2021, another meteorite of Martian origin, in which a sample of the Martian atmosphere was preserved, was sold at Christie’s auction for 200,000 dollars – four times more expensive than expected.