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9h ago

Sotheby’s to Auction Largest Known Martian Meteorite in New York

The 25-kilogram olivine-microgabbroic shergottite is on view in New York before its July 16 sale, which will take bids in dollars or cryptocurrency

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)
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)
A mounted Juvenile Ceratosaurus skeleton, of the Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian Stage, approximately 154-149 million years ago, estimated at $4 - 6 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)
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Overview

  • Meteorite NWA 16788 is being displayed at Sotheby’s New York through July 16 ahead of the natural history-themed auction
  • Bidding will open in U.S. dollars and major cryptocurrencies against a $2 million to $4 million estimate
  • The 54-pound specimen is about 70% larger than the next biggest Martian fragment and accounts for nearly 7% of all known Martian meteorites
  • A specialized laboratory matched its chemical signature to samples collected by NASA’s 1976 Viking mission, confirming its classification as an olivine-microgabbroic shergottite
  • The sale also features a juvenile late Jurassic Ceratosaurus skeleton estimated at $4 million to $6 million