Martian meteorite set for multi-million dollar auction

Technology Jul 11, 2025

Sotheby's is about to auction off the biggest piece of Mars ever discovered on Earth—the NWA 16788 meteorite.
Found in Niger last year and weighing 24kg, it's already drawing bids starting at $1.6 million, with experts thinking it could sell for upwards of $4 million.
This chunk of space rock is 70% larger than any other Martian fragment found here and was formed by a huge asteroid hitting Mars.

Some scientists want the meteorite kept in a museum

While collectors are excited, some scientists want the meteorite kept in a museum so everyone can learn from it.
Professor Steve Brusatte says it's too important for science and public interest to end up hidden away, though there's still hope the winning bidder might donate it for research and display.