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yesterday

Sotheby’s Sells Largest Martian Meteorite at Auction for $5.3 Million

Scientists are poised to begin detailed analysis of the 25-kilogram meteorite to unlock new clues about Mars’ geology

FILE — A Martian meteorite, weighing 54.388 lbs. (24.67 kg), said to be the largest piece of Mars on Earth, at Sotheby's, in New York, July 9, 2025. was sold for just over $5-million at an auction of rare geological and archaeological objects. at Sotheby's, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
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Con 25 kilos y una antigüedad incalculable, el meteorito representa casi el 7% de todo el material marciano que se conserva en nuestro planeta.

Overview

  • The fragment NWA 16788 fetched a hammer price of $4.3 million and reached $5.3 million with fees in the July 16–17 sale
  • Weighing about 25 kilograms, the rock is a shergottite olivino-microgabbroic specimen representing roughly 7% of Martian material on Earth
  • Cassandra Hatton of Sotheby’s described its journey from Mars to Earth as almost impossible and highlighted its value for habitability research
  • A juvenile Ceratosaurus nasicornis skeleton sold for $30.5 million, becoming the third most expensive dinosaur fossil auctioned and the only young specimen among four known
  • Research institutions are set to gain access soon to examine the meteorite’s coarse-grained pyroxene and olivine minerals