Overview

• Sotheby’s hammered down the sale at $4.3 million before fees lifted the final price to $5.3 million, marking the highest auction result for a Martian meteorite.
• The specimen, designated NWA 16788, weighs 24–25 kilograms, making it roughly 70% larger than any other catalogued fragment from Mars.
• Specialized laboratory studies classified the rock as a shergottite olivine-microgabbroic specimen rich in pyroxene and olivine, offering insights into Martian magma processes.
• The buyer’s identity remains undisclosed, fueling uncertainty over whether researchers will gain access to examine the meteorite.
• The high-profile sale underscores mounting tensions between private collectors and the scientific community over future study of extraterrestrial samples.