Largest chunk of Mars on Earth expected to fetch up to $4M at Sotheby’s auction

This rock will put you in the red.

The largest known piece of a Martian meteorite discovered on Earth is scheduled for auction at Sotheby’s on July 16 — and could sell for upwards of $4 million.

Martian Meteorite NWA 16788, excavated from Niger’s remote Agadez Region in 2023, is available to all through an online auction with bids already reaching $1.6 million nearly a week in advance.

The hefty meteorite clocks in at 54 pounds and 15 inches wide, which is 70% larger than the now-second-biggest chunk of the Red Planet discovered on Earth, according to a release from the auction house.

Sotheby’s noted that any discoveries from the far-off planet are exceedingly rare. Their meteorite, though, could be one of the rarest as it was directly expelled from the surface of Mars after a “massive asteroid strike” rocked the Red Planet.

And, in a stroke of sheer luck, a piece of the larger meteor soared 140 million miles away and broke away over Earth, crashing into the Sahara Desert.

In all, there are only 400 known Mars rocks on Earth, comprising less than 1% of all known space rocks on the Blue Planet.

And, compared to others discovered in the past, Sotheby’s featured rock is in pristine condition.

“NWA 16788 shows minimal terrestrial weathering, indicating that its physical and chemical makeup have not been significantly altered since its arrival in the Sahara Desert. In other words, NWA 16788 is likely a relative newcomer here on Earth, having fallen from outer space rather recently,” Sotheby’s explained, according to the release.

Still, many scientists assert that such a perfect specimen should’ve been donated to be studied instead of placed in the hands of the highest bidder.

“It would be a shame if it disappeared into the vault of an oligarch. It belongs in a museum, where it can be studied, and where it can be enjoyed by children and families and the public at large,” Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at the University of Edinburgh, told CNN.

Whoever claims the coveted meteorite is free to do with it as they wish, including possibly donating it to a museum or science organization of their choice.

Sotheby’s has previously auctioned anything from ancient fossils to controversial art, with few forays into the interstellar market.

In 2019, it offered up a slew of Apollo 11 memorabilia, including tapes of the shuttle’s touchdown, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.