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Largest Piece of Mars on Earth Sells for $5.3 Million at Sotheby’s

Its sale raises questions about balancing private ownership with scientific and public access to scarce Martian samples.

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A Martian meteorite, weighing 54.388 lbs. (24.67 kg), said to be the largest piece of Mars on Earth, estimated at $2 - 4 million, is displayed at Sotheby's, in New York, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, part of their Geek Week auction, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The identity of the rock collector has not been revealed.
At Sotheby’s Geek Week 2025, a 150-million-year-old Ceratosaurus stole the show among 122 rare items.

Overview

  • The 24.5-kilogram meteorite went under the hammer on July 16 in New York, achieving a $4.3 million bid and roughly $5.3 million total with fees.
  • An anonymous buyer secured NWA 16788, which was discovered in Niger’s Sahara in November 2023 and is 70 percent larger than the next-biggest Martian fragment.
  • Specialist laboratory tests confirmed the rock’s Martian origin and classified it as an olivine-microgabbroic shergottite containing pyroxene, olivine and maskelynite glass.
  • The specimen accounts for about 6.5 to 7 percent of all known Martian meteorite material on Earth, underscoring its exceptional rarity.
  • No plans have been announced for future scientific study or public exhibition, intensifying debate over private control of extraterrestrial resources.