In a landmark sale, the largest known Martian meteorite on Earth, weighing 54 pounds, was auctioned off for nearly $5.3 million at a Sotheby’s event in New York on Wednesday, July 16. Though not the most expensive item sold that day, the Martian rock – officially named NWA 16788 – became the most valuable meteorite ever sold at an auction, according to Sotheby’s.
The bidding for the meteorite began with advance offers of $1.9 million and $2 million. While the live auction did not see a fierce bidding war, the final sale price, including fees, reached close to $5.3 million, Associated Press reported. It was ultimately overshadowed by a rare juvenile dinosaur skeleton, which fetched more than $30 million and became the centrepiece of the event.
What is NWA 16788?
The rare Martian specimen was discovered in November 2023 in the Sahara Desert in Niger. The initials ‘NWA’ stand for Northwest Africa, the region where it was recovered. Experts believe the rock broke off from Mars during a massive asteroid impact and travelled nearly 140 million miles through space before crash-landing on Earth.
With dimensions of roughly 15 inches by 11 inches by 6 inches, NWA 16788 is said to be 70 per cent larger than the next-largest Martian meteorite ever found. Sotheby’s described it as having a “deep red hue” and a “glassy crust” that has helped preserve its unique features over millions of years.
“This is the most valuable meteorite ever sold at auction,” Sotheby’s confirmed, although the identity of the buyer remains undisclosed.
Rare scientific value
Cassandra Hatton, Vice Chairman for Science and Natural History at Sotheby’s, said the rock’s Martian origins were authenticated through specialised laboratory tests that matched its chemical makeup to known Martian samples.
“It was tested for chemical compositions that matched those found in other Martian meteorites, including samples examined during NASA’s Viking space probe missions,” Hatton said.
NWA 16788 has been classified as an olivine-microgabbroic shergottite, a rare type of rock that forms from the slow cooling of Martian magma deep below the planet’s surface.
Out of more than 77,000 meteorites officially documented on Earth, only about 400 have been confirmed to originate from Mars. This makes NWA 16788 not just a collector’s item, but a significant piece of planetary history.
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