Massive Martian meteorite to be auctioned at Sotheby's
The biggest Martian meteorite ever found—NWA 16788, weighing 24kg—is going up for auction at Sotheby's New York in 2025.
Discovered in Niger's Sahara Desert in late 2023, this space rock traveled about 140 million miles from Mars and could fetch between $2 million and $4 million.
More about the meteorite
NWA 16788 is an olivine-gabbroic shergottite, meaning it's packed with minerals like pyroxene and olivine.
Scientists matched its chemical signature to Mars using NASA Viking mission data, so there's no doubt it's the real deal.
It also sports a glassy crust from blazing through Earth's atmosphere.
Fun fact: it's about 70% larger than any other Martian meteorite we know of and makes up nearly 7% of all confirmed Martian rocks on Earth.
Auction details
You can check out NWA 16788 at Sotheby's New York galleries before the auction.
The event features a total of 122 rare items—including fossils and minerals—with a juvenile Ceratosaurus skeleton (estimated at $4-6 million) also stealing some spotlight.