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yesterday

Bidding Nears $2 Million for Record-Size Martian Meteorite at Sotheby’s

Experts debate whether the 24.67kg specimen should stay in public repositories for scientific research

It's just a piece of rock, but it's from another planet, which makes it incredibly valuable. Bidding sits at US$1.98 million (inc BP) with two weeks to go before the hammer falls
This piece of rock could sell for $4 million. It came from Mars
Sotheby's mars bitcoin cryptocurrency Auction NWA 16788 Meteorites Northwest Africa 16788

Overview

  • Online bidding opened ahead of the July 16 sale in New York, with offers reaching $1.98 million against a $2–4 million estimate
  • At 24.67 kg, NWA-16788 is about 70 percent larger than the previous record-holder, making it the biggest known Mars rock on Earth
  • Geochemical analysis reveals a coarse-grained mix of pyroxene, maskelynite and olivine formed by slow cooling of magma and shock melting
  • Discovered in November 2023 in Niger’s remote Agadez region, the meteorite’s Martian origin was authenticated by the Shanghai Astronomy Museum
  • Scientists are split over whether this rare find will remain accessible to researchers in a public collection or be locked away in a private vault